I received the following from Lennie Engle, wife of District III director Lance Engle. Please keep an eye out for Dakota.

Get this to the local and national TV Stations.

I forwarded the post to a local tv station. I don't know if it will help, but I hope it does!

I sent it to CNN, Wichita (news@ksn.com) and Kansas City KCTV5 (kctv5@kctv5.com)

Get this to the local and national TV Stations, papers, and radios.

bump

School dirtict in Salina sent the poster out over the email...Any news yet?

Unfortunately no, the family has expressed their thanks for all the prayers and concerns. They have sent the information to some of the television and radio stations but wanted to thank everyone who also did. More stations across the state that could mention it could help further. Please keep not only Dakota in your prayers but also the family as they try to cope with this.

Send that to John Wlash america's most wanted he is the best because he lost his son Adam he well help you more than anyone

Here is an update for everyone. These are emails that were forwarded to us from Dakota's Mom and Aunt. Both emails are below.

Continue to keep them in your prayers. And pass on his picture on information to anyone you know even out of state… he might be heading to Iowa.



We are not positive on a direction that Dakota would be headed towards. Dakota's best friend thinks he may be heading to Des Moines, Iowa but that is not for certain. That is why we are wanting to get this email spread all over the US because he could be anywhere. He does not have a passport so there is no possibility he could leave the US. Your help is greatly appreciated!!

Here is part of another conversation they had with Tabitha (Dakota's Aunt)...



We have no idea what direction he is heading. Their has been no leads on a direction. Talisha did receive a hangup phone call on Friday and we were able to trace the phone to a payphone at the service station on the turnpike near Towanda, KS. The service station had video surveillance and it has been confirmed (by video) that Dakota did come in and use the phone but he did not make any purchases or fill up with gas. He has not been at school at all since he left. However he has been excused all of this week and also last Friday because he was scheduled to have a tonsillectomy Friday morning.



You know as well as anyone that knows Dakota, that he is a great kid and this is so unlike him. He never voiced his feelings to anyone as far as being afraid about the surgery or anything of that nature, but obviously he had some feelings that everyone was unaware of. He has continued to be an honor student and has all A's and one B, so there has not been a change academically either. That is why this is so concerning to everyone. He is not the typical kid just to get up and take off. Dakota is an avid reader and loves books. So he may be seen at a library or bookstore.



Thanks for your help and please pray for Dakota.



Tabitha Lummus

Any updates as it has been quite a while (a week) without hearing anything. Any links to TV or print media that are keeping this story out there ?

Here's an article from the Hutchinson News (click here to see the article):

===================

Parents seek help finding runaway teen
By Edie Hall - The Hutchinson News - ehall@hutchnews.com

The family of a missing Hutchinson teenager says they haven't made much progress in finding him and continue to ask the community to keep its eyes and ears open.

Dakota Sherry, 17, has been missing since April 3. On April 4, he called his family from a payphone at a Towanda truck stop, but didn't speak or give any indication of why he left.

"We saw on the caller ID that it was from a payphone, and his mom answered and said, 'Hello? Dakota?' and he hung up," said Jim Sherry, Dakota's father. "We confirmed it was him from a security camera."

Since then, Jim Sherry said, there has been no progress in the case despite rumors that Dakota was seen in various places around the country.

"At this time, we don't know where he might be," Sherry said. "We've looked at all the possibilities. Family members are doing what they can to look for him.

"We feel like if he was going to stay with another family member, that he would've been there by now."

Jim Sherry and his wife, Talisha, are unsure why their son left home, or where he was going.

"My wife and I can speculate, but no one really knows for sure except Dakota," he said. "We've had a week and a half of no sleep and second-guessing."

The Sherrys are hopeful that Dakota will call or come home soon.

"I don't know how to describe it," Jim Sherry said. "We're worried and wanting to hear from him. But Dakota is a very capable, smart kid. I'm sure that he's somewhere unwinding, or decompressing."

He encouraged the community to continue to spread the word about Dakota's disappearance, hoping that someone, somewhere would see him.

He added that he and his wife are thankful for the support they've already received.

"We have been really amazed at how everyone has pitched in and called with tips," he said. "It has been really amazing the way people are so concerned."

Dakota Sherry is 6-foot-1 and weighs about 170 pounds. He has green eyes.

He is driving a 2002 maroon Ford Taurus with tag number XOM 025.

Sherry was reported as a runaway to Hutchinson police, who immediately assigned a detective to the case, Lt. Clay Rothe said.

Anyone with information should call the Hutchinson Police Department at (620) 694-2834.

Thank you for the update. Was also wondering what had come of the situation. The family is in our prayers daily.

from what i heard this morning, dakota was found in wichita and is safe. not too many details right now, as they continue to investigate.

Missing Hutch teen returns home safely
Hutchinson News - Newsbriefs

Wednesday, April 23, 2008
7:56 AM

Missing Hutch teen returns home safely

A Hutchinson teenager who ran away April 3 is back at home after police found him in Wichita.

Dakota Sherry, 17, was spotted by police in the Rock Road area Monday afternoon and returned home to Hutchinson that night.

Prior to Monday, Sherry was last heard from April 4, when he called his family from a Towanda truck stop. Jim Sherry said his son had been in Wichita the entire 21/2 weeks of his disappearance, living out of his car.

"I think it was just a combination of being 17 and leaving and then he wasn't sure how to make that phone call to come home," Jim Sherry said. "We are just so relieved and thankful to have him home. We are so appreciative to the whole community for the way they came around us and supported us through this."

6000

Wonderful news in a day and age where news is rarely wonderful. I am glad that Dakota is back home with his family and I am thankful that this story had a happy ending.

Thankfully ... a great outcome!

Thank goodness!

Very Good News!!

Thats great to hear!!!!