Anji Dean.jpeg

Angelic "Anji" Tracy Dean quietly walked out of her home June 23 and hasn't been seen since.

(Family photo)

A 17-year-old teenager who left an ominous note in her Camas home and then vanished has sparked a missing-person case that's attracted national attention.

Angelic "Anji" Tracy Dean disappeared after leaving a note that said if she was found, she was likely in trouble or dead. She vanished June 23 after sending a text message to her boyfriend, saying she's been involved in a situation for a while and the people were going to kill him, her family and everyone she loves.

When Dean's boyfriend didn't text back, Dean phoned him but he didn't answer, said Lynda Jorgensen, Dean's mother.

Later that night, between 9 and 10:30 p.m., Dean quietly slipped out of her home near Southeast 192nd Avenue in Camas.

She's not been seen or heard from since and authorities are afraid she may have become a victim of sex traffickers.

Her family later found a spiral notebook tucked into a binder under her bed. In a note dated June 5, Dean wrote: "If you're reading this, I'm probably missing. ... I'm not missing because I hate you ... When or if you find me ... I'll be all used up or dead. Meth addict, heroin too just so I can get through all the pain."

Jorgensen said Dean, a junior at Camas High School, had never run away before. She left her wallet, bank card, makeup and glasses, which she needs to see close up and far away. The family also discovered she had a cell phone they didn't know about and was using a special app to send text messages, making them more difficult to trace.

"She was involved with some bad people," Jorgensen said, "doing things she didn't want to do."

She had hinted to her parents last year that she was having problems but was never specific about it, Jorgensen said, only revealing a few details to her counselor.

"It wasn't until this last month she was much more specific, but she wasn't specific enough for it to be followed up on," Jorgensen said.

Call with tips.

The family is frantic.

"It's really scary," Jorgensen said. "The few bread crumbs that we have are not much but they're frightening."

Jorgensen said Dean, her oldest of four children, appeared to be on a good path. She had competed as a cheerleader, participated in the Clark County Explorer program and planned to become a cadet. She was almost fluent in American Sign Language, has a flair for drawing and a beautiful singing voice.

When she indicated she was having problems, her parents found her a counselor. They figured she was just depressed.

"The fact that she has been telling folks, everybody feels awful at this point," said Michelle Bart, president of the National Women's Coalition Against Violence and Exploitation in Vancouver.

The case has been turned over to the Clark County Sheriff's Office, with Detective Scott Kirgiss investigating tips. He can be reached at 360-397-2028. A Facebook page has been set up as well, with supporters asking people to share links and tweet, using the hashtag #AnjiDean.

Bart said law enforcement suspects she is still in the Portland area, based on tips.

Police are looking for a man, 25 to 35 with a goatee, who dropped Dean off at her home the afternoon of June 23. A neighbor spotted the car, an older, rectangular light-blue Volvo that was full of people. The neighbor said the driver noticed he was being watched and drove out of the area going the other way.

Dean, who turned 17 on June 2, is 5-feet-6, with brown hair, blue eyes and pierced ears. She has a small birthmark on the back of one of her calves. She was last seen wearing black, mid-calf length tights, a black tank top and white Nike tennis shoes with light-green soles. She may have a white backpack.

A Vigil of Hope will be held Sunday at 7 p.m. at Homestead Park at Southeast 160th Avenue and 18th Street in Vancouver.

Friends, family and supporters will be there.

"We just want her home," Jorgensen said. "We just want her safe."

-- Lynne Terry