‘You have to rely on your community.’ Daughter uses social media to help find missing dad

After reporting Francis Taylor missing to Franklin Township police, his daughter Abena Taylor took to social media

Amanda Lee

Aug 24, 2024, 9:36 PM

Updated 19 days ago

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A call for help that spread across social media platforms was key in one family's desperate search for a loved one.
Francis Taylor’s family had last seen him on a Ring camera video outside their home in Somerset on the morning of Saturday, Aug. 10. They said he was healthy but ended up going missing for more than six days.
After reporting Taylor missing to Franklin Township police, his daughter Abena Taylor took to social media, creating videos that were seen by thousands helping her call attention to her father’s disappearance.
"I'm about to be 32 and all these years he has never not come home. He never stays out of the house maybe longer than 10 p.m., so I just knew in my heart that something was wrong. I wasn't sure what exactly it was,” Abena Taylor said.
Likes, shares and comments advanced throughout Instagram, TikTok and Facebook as the word spread to thousands.
A TikTok user who saw the viral posts sent in a tip to Franklin Township police who acted quickly. Francis Taylor was found inside his car near the George Washington Bridge. It was later discovered that he experienced multiple strokes, became disoriented and couldn't find his way home. He is now in need of additional care but was reunited with his family, nonetheless.
"Overall, I just learned that you have to rely on your community, have confidence in yourself and when you continue to pray and keep faith, miracles can happen,” Abena Taylor said.