Missing 16-year-old Myrtle Beach girl found safe in Mount Pleasant

Marley McKenna Spindler, the 16-year-old Myrtle Beach girl who had been missing almost one week, was found safe by the Mt. Pleasant Police Department Wednesday.

Horry County police said Spindler, who was a Socastee High School student, will be reunited with her family as soon as possible.

“We are continuing to investigate this case to ensure we have a complete understanding of its facts and circumstances,” Lt. Raul Denis with Horry County police said. “The Horry County police sincerely thank everyone who assisted in the search for McKenna.”

Spindler’s missing person case was featured on a nationally syndicated TV show, Nancy Grace, and led police to chase down surveillance photos of her at the bank where she withdrew money the day she was last seen, which was Aug. 20, as well as municipal surveillance cameras driving down Ocean Boulevard.

Spindler was last seen when she met her friends at a Chick-Fil-A on S.C. 544 before school. Police said Monday evidence suggests a missing teen girl “left alone and not under duress or coercion.”

Police learned that Spindler went to pick up a man, identified as Jeremy, to take him home in the Garden City Beach area of Georgetown County.

Police identified and cleared “Jeremy” by 7:45 p.m. Friday, Denis said.

Police spotted Spindler on municipal surveillance cameras driving down Ocean Boulevard and withdrawing less than $100 from her bank, Denis said. Spindler had changed clothes before withdrawing the money, he said.

“We have no reason to believe that there is any foul play involved in this case,” Denis said.

Denis said a search of her cellular phone revealed evidence that she left alone. Detectives continue to follow up on leads and the Center for Missing and Exploited Children is aiding Horry County police in the investigation, Denis said.

“Our information so far indicates that she is likely alone and we have no evidence of foul play at this time,” Denis said. The police’s tip line is still active, he said.

Spindler told friends she would be at school after picking up Jeremy, but she did not show up to Socastee High School and has not been seen since, according to an Horry County police report. A friend of Spindler told police that “Jeremy” was somewhere on Ocean Boulevard and Spindler had met him on the beach about three weeks ago.

Spindler was last heard from in a group text message at 8:42 a.m. Thursday, according to the report. Spindler’s father called her cellphone at 4 p.m. and a clerk with Ocean Reef Resort answered and said the phone had been found earlier in the day in their parking lot.

Detectives took the phone and reported that Spindler was driving a silver 2002 Ford Escape with South Carolina license plate No. KFI776.

On Friday, Denis released a photo of Spindler’s vehicle. The photo was taken by another law enforcement agency before she was reported missing, he said. It’s unclear the details under which the law enforcement agency got the photo.

Several state and national agencies joined Horry County police in the search for Spindler.

This story was originally published August 26, 2015 at 4:06 PM with the headline "Missing 16-year-old Myrtle Beach girl found safe in Mount Pleasant."