Reward raised to $30,000 in desperate search for missing teenager

The family of Kandis Harris, a teenager missing since 2021, is increasing the reward money in hopes that someone might come forward with information.

Initially set at $1,000, the reward now stands at $30,000.

Harris was 16 years old in the custody of the state and receiving treatment for substance use at a Salt Lake City facility when she disappeared two years ago.

Diane Carpenter, Harris’s grandmother who helped raise her, remains devastated by her disappearance.

“She had the biggest heart,” Carpenter said. “For almost two years, her disappearance has broken our hearts.”

Carpenter said she and Harris shared a special bond, almost akin to best friends.

Previous reporting from 2News

“I was Kandis’s number one,” Carpenter said.

She believes that Harris would reach out if she could, suggesting she might be held against her will.

In a further attempt to gain new leads, the family recently added $10,000 to the reward for information leading to Harris.

“That’s why we have started raising the reward for Kandis,” Carpenter explained. “Seems like the higher the reward goes, we have a few people that kind of start talking.”

Carpenter noted that they’ve been receiving fragments of information regarding her granddaughter’s whereabouts.

She believes that Harris might now be in the Tooele area, however, as time goes by, information has become scant, with potential witnesses potentially forgetting crucial details.

“They could know something that they don’t even think is important, and it could be the really key missing piece of the puzzle that we’re trying to put together here,” Carpenter explained.

While the family has considered worst-case scenarios, their primary concern remains locating Harris.

“More than anything, I don’t care about who did this; I just want to know where she’s at,” Carpenter said.

Police are encouraging anyone with information to come forward, assuring tipsters can remain anonymous.

However, the tip must lead to finding Harris.

Law enforcement is actively working leads and the investigation into her whereabouts is ongoing.

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