(NewsNation) — A young mother of five disappeared more than six months ago after a night out with friends in North Carolina.
Marissa Carmichael’s mother fears her daughter is a victim of sex trafficking.
Sara Carmichael only has photos to remind her of some of her favorite memories of her daughter.
“She makes people laugh,” she said. “She can turn the littlest thing into a lot of fun.”
She described her relationship with Marissa as one similar to best friends.
“We always kept in touch. We never went hours, more than hours, without being in touch,” she said.
That is until the early morning of Jan. 14, 2024. The 25-year-old had gone out with friends, eventually ending up at the “One-17 Sofa Bar and Lounge” in Greensboro. At some point, her friends split off, texting, “See you in the a.m.”
Marissa Carmichael’s last hours before going missing
Marissa reportedly got a ride to an after-hours party at a residence in the area. Police and crime scene technicians later scoured the home for any evidence about what happened to Marissa.
The only thing police know for certain is that Marissa placed a 911 call around 3:40 in the morning from an Exxon station.
“I don’t know where I am in Greensboro. I just got all my stuff threw out of the car,” she’s heard saying. “He took off with my phone. I have no clue where I’m at. I have no numbers.”
Her mother believes it was part of a setup to leave Marissa stranded and vulnerable.
On the 911 call, Marissa explained the guy told her to go into the store and grab something before taking off.
“I don’t know where I’m at, I’m in the middle of Greensboro. He took my phone and I don’t have my phone,” she told the dispatcher.
When Greensboro police arrived 40 minutes later, the clerk said Marissa had gotten a ride with another customer.
Her mother said Marissa tried to call her two more times that night from someone else’s phone. She turned that number over to the police.
“I think when she was reaching out and calling, she was figuring out, ‘Okay, he’s really maybe not bringing me home at this point,'” Sara said. “I think she was starting to get a feeling.”
Friends and family are working to keep attention on the case.
“It’s exhausting, it really is. It’s tiring. We just want her home; we miss her,” said friend Aerial Lipford.
Marissa’s loved ones gathered in orange T-shirts, Marissa’s favorite color, vowing to keep attention on her case.
“She’s very optimistic, she’s just a great person all around and we need to get her home,” said Marissa’s cousin, Jamil Ismail.
Law enforcement response to Marissa Carmichael’s disappearance
Police released an update on Facebook on Feb. 7, 2024, saying the department is “increasingly concerned” for Marissa’s welfare.
NewsNation local affiliate WGHP reported surveillance footage showed Carmichael getting into someone’s car and leaving the Exxon station. That person was identified and interviewed by police, but they consider the person a witness in the case, WGHP reported.
Sara previously told NewsNation she is frustrated, wondering how police don’t have any information on the person who took her daughter even with all the cameras around the Exxon.
“Amazing how he just showed up at the Exxon as soon as she had been dumped out by the other guy,” Sara said.
She said she’s done her own investigation and believes the man Marissa left the gas station with may be involved in sex trafficking and that her daughter may still be nearby and alive.
Sara hopes someone will spot Marissa’s distinctive tattoos and make a call to authorities, returning the young mother of five to her family.
Until then, Sara has a message for her daughter.
“I’m not giving up. I’m working every day, we’re looking for you,” she said. “We’re trying to find you. We’re not giving up.”
Described as a biracial woman, police say Carmichael is around 5-foot-4 and weighs about 260 pounds with long black and blond braids. She has a heart tattoo on her face and one of a butterfly near her eye. When she disappeared, Carmichael was wearing a white Tweety Bird T-shirt, blue jeans and yellow sneakers, according to Crime Stoppers.
Greensboro police say anyone who knows anything about where Marissa Carmichael is should call them immediately. Anonymous reports can be made to Crime Stoppers at (336) 373-1000.
NewsNation local affiliate WGHP contributed to this report.