Family marks 1 year since teenager goes missing in Gary, FBI investigating

Tuesday, August 12, 2025
GARY, Ind. (WLS) -- Tuesday marked one year since Ja'Niyah McMichael's mother reported her missing.



In April, her family marked her 14th birthday, hoping that she will be find alive.

The teen was reported missing by her mother on August 12, 2024 from their Gary, Indiana home.

McMichael was last seen wearing black pajama pants, a black hooded sweatshirt, and red and black shoes.



While the FBI says McMichael has known ties in both Gary and East Chicago, Indiana, they have not provided any details outlining this latest development.

Federal investigators and the City of Gary have put up a reward of $20,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction in McMichael's disappearance.

The Gary Police Department and the FBI asked anyone with information about the girl's disappearance to contact them.

Tips can be submitted anonymously to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at tips.fbi.gov.

The video in the player above is from a previous report.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE | 14-year-old Gary girl, missing since August 2024, may be victim of foul play: FBI, police
Copyright © 2026 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.