After major reward is offered, missing township teen found in Jersey City

Danielle Nottingham ran away from her Princeton home in 2003 and police have been searching for her ever since

By: Molly Petrilla
   After nearly four years of searching, Princeton Township police have found 18-year-old Danielle Nottingham alive and well in Jersey City.
   Investigators had been trying to locate the former township resident since she ran away from home on Jan. 11, 2003, at age 16, and said finding Danielle on Tuesday was a joyous occasion for all those involved.
   "She seemed happy to see us and she was smiling," lead investigator Detective Annette Henderson said. "It was a really positive experience."
   Danielle had the opportunity to speak to her mother, Shari Nottingham, on Detective Henderson’s cell phone for about 20 minutes and, according to the detective, the mother and daughter agreed to meet soon.
   In the years Danielle was missing, township police received more than 100 tips regarding her whereabouts, according to Detective Henderson.
   Eight of those tips came after Philadelphia businessman Joe Mammana posted a $100,000 reward Nov. 5 for information leading to the finding of Danielle. The detective said it was that new batch of tips that helped investigators locate the long-missing teen.
   Tuesday morning, Detective Henderson and Detective Sgt. Ernie Silagyi went to Jersey City to follow up on four recent calls that placed Danielle there. They met with the city’s missing persons unit and went to Danielle’s boyfriend’s house.
   Her boyfriend helped persuade Danielle to contact the Jersey City Missing Persons Unit and, after assurances that she would not be taken into custody, the former Princeton Township resident agreed to meet with investigators on a street of her choosing.
   Township acting Police Chief Mark Emann said he is "very proud" of Detective Henderson, who has been involved in the case from the beginning.
   He added that the meeting on Tuesday "provided closure for three people — Mrs. Nottingham, her daughter, Danielle, and, of course, Annette Henderson."
   Detective Henderson agreed. "It’s such a relief to know that Danielle is safe," she said. "I don’t think she realized how many people were invested in this and really cared about her being located and knowing she was OK."
   As for the $100,000 reward, Detective Henderson said the facts of the case will be sent to the Midwest Coalition for the Missing, which will work with Mr. Mammana to determine who should receive the money.