‘Happy Birthday Wherever You Are’: FBI Offers $20K Reward for Missing Indiana Girl Ja’Niyah McMichael

A $20,000 reward is being for information regarding the disappearance of 14-year-old Ja’Niyah McMichael, who vanished last year in Gary, Indiana.

According to ABC Chicago, McMichael’s mother reported her missing on August 12, 2024, from their residence on Malcolm X Boulevard in Gary. She was last seen on August 11 of last year.

The FBI said McMichael has established connections to Gary and East Chicago, Indiana, and is possibly the victim of foul play.

“Ja’Niyah, wherever you may be today, your nana loves you,” her grandmother, Dalia Guerrero, said, CBS News reports. “Happy birthday wherever you are.”

As CrimeOnline previously reported, McMichael is described as standing 4 feet, 3 inches tall and weighing 101 pounds. She was last seen wearing black pajama pants, a black hooded sweatshirt, and red and black shoes.

The city of Gary and the FBI combined funds to offer the reward for “anyone with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the individual(s) responsible for her disappearance,” WNDU reports.

Anyone with information about her whereabouts should call the Gary Police Department at 219-881-1229 or the Indiana Department of Child Services Hotline at 800-800-5556. You can also send an anonymous tip to1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.

[Feature Photo: Gary Police Department]