“All the media and everything aside, I just saw a little girl reaching out a hand asking for help, and I couldn’t turn my back on that,” Khristina told KUTV.
A routine online gaming session between teenagers in two states ultimately broke open a missing person case that had spanned more than 500 days. Landon Tresp crossed paths with a runaway teenager while playing Among Us, setting off a chain of events that involved his mother, federal investigators, and local law enforcement across three states.
The girl had been just 15 years old when she vanished from Garden City in May 2025, according to KUTV reporting. Over the course of more than a year and a half, local news outlets tracked the disappearance through extensive coverage.
From Among Us to a Discord Rescue Mission
After their initial meeting in the multiplayer game, Landon and the girl moved their conversations to Discord and maintained regular contact during the week.
“I met her on Among Us one night,” Landon said. “We started talking, and she told me about how she was a runaway.”
The situation escalated when the girl shared news articles detailing her own disappearance. Recognizing the gravity of the messages, Landon immediately brought the information to his mother, Khristina.
“I immediately went to my mom and told her everything,” Landon told KUTV.
Khristina admitted she had no prior knowledge of the missing persons case. Working to establish trust, she began communicating with the teenager online through video chats and direct messaging. The girl initially knew only the general city where she was staying and the name of the man accompanying her.
Using online mapping tools, Khristina showed the teenager pictures of residential properties on Zillow that matched the descriptions provided during their chats. The strategy worked when the girl identified one specific house, telling her, “That’s where I’m at, please help me.”
“I said, ‘I’ve got you. If you trust me, I trust you, and I’ll make sure you get out of there safe,’” Khristina recalled to KUTV.
FBI Coordination and the Safe Escape on November 1
Federal court documents outline that investigators received a tip on Nov. 1, 2026, stemming from the digital correspondence between the children. Screenshots reviewed by KUTV verified that the girl stated she was being held against her will inside an Oregon home and lacked the freedom to leave.
After narrowing down the location to Huntington, Oregon, Khristina contacted the missing girl’s mother, which paved the way for Federal Bureau of Investigation agents to step in. Investigators arranged a monitored video call to verify the teenager’s safety and map out an escape strategy.
“She spoke with me and devised a plan so that she was safe,” Khristina told KUTV. “She told me that she was going to give me a call once he was out of the home. And she did just that. She kept her word, and I kept mine to get her to safety.”
On Nov. 1, 2026, with the adult resident away from the property, the teenager climbed the basement stairs and ran out the front door as planned. An Oregon State Police trooper waited outside to receive her.
Court documents identify the resident as 39-year-old Adam Hunter Harmel, who was subsequently arrested and charged with transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Harmel has since appeared in court on two separate occasions in Boise, Idaho.
Khristina watched the successful rescue unfold remotely via video call as the teenager entered law enforcement custody. The girl is currently in Utah state custody, and the Colorado family hopes to maintain contact.
“If your child comes to you and it sounds silly or it sounds funny and it doesn’t sound right, just stop for a second,” Khristina advised parents in her interview with KUTV. “Take a second to ask a couple of questions, even if you feel silly doing so,” Khristina said.
Related reading
Cowboy State Daily Video Newscast: Thursday, November 12, 2026
As the National Weather Service states that 2026 will be the warmest year in Wyoming's recorded history, residents...
Gee and Ursula Discuss Calls for Washington Data Center Regulation
Washington lawmakers are preparing for a high-stakes legislative session as they look to impose new regulations on the...
UW-Madison Students Showcase Art in Pullcord Exhibition
“PLEASE DO NOT PULL ANY CORDS,” read a polite but firm sign hanging above the exhibition map in...
West Virginia Secures $202 Million in Federal Rural Health Funding
West Virginia secured $202,081,355 in second-year federal rural health funding, pushing its two-year total past $401 million, according...