THE MISSING FILES: Friend of missing Rio Boyd, 21, thinks she may have been 'trafficked'
THE MISSING FILES is a weekly special feature that looks into cases of missing people across America that have shattered communities and families. It delves into the known facts and the latest updates on these mysterious disappearances.
SPANAWAY, WASHINGTON: Rio Boyd, 21, was last seen in Spanaway, Washington, on October 17, 2022. She is said to have disappeared after leaving her family’s residence to walk to a friend's house. At the time, she was living in a house on Field Road in Spanaway.
Although Rio went out to visit a friend, around 6 pm, she never made it. She has not been heard from since. Rio was reportedly last seen walking south on Highway 7 at Field Road. Her family filed a missing person’s report with the Pierce County Police Department, Disappeared reported.
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In an interview with MEAWW, Rio's friend, Laura Orlando, described her as an "outgoing" person. "I’ve known Rio since we were about six years old. She was one of my best friends throughout grade school to high school and then she moved away to Washington, but we still kept in touch," Laura, 22, said. "Rio was very funny and always wanted to make you laugh. She was also a very protective friend and would never let anyone mess with you. But she had a troubled side as well, hanging out with the wrong type of people and getting into drugs as an adult. She also struggled with mental health issues."
'The way Rio's phone was found was very strange'
Rio left her identification, wallet and keys behind at home when she went missing. She took her new cell phone that she had received just four hours before leaving. A man walking his dog near Field Road and Mountain Highway later found her phone on the side of the road, a block away from her residence in Spanaway.
"I think the way her phone was found was very strange, almost as if it was placed there neatly, not dropped or tossed. Rio would never leave her phone if she was planning on going missing on her own terms," Laura said. "Although I had not seen her in a while, Rio always kept in touch with me on Snapchat. The last conversation we had was her sending me a picture from when we were little kids on a field trip and we talked about some old memories. Nothing seemed off to me." Authorities have been seeking the public's help to obtain surveillance footage from the area where Rio went missing.
'Rio was possibly being trafficked'
"There are so many possibilities running through my mind about what may have happened to Rio," Laura said. "It seems to me that she was abducted by someone, and is possibly being trafficked because there is absolutely no traces of her. Abductions and trafficking are very common in the area she went missing."
She added, "People speculate she chose to go missing and I just don’t think she did. She would never not tell at least someone about her whereabouts and she wouldn’t leave her phone. Her wallet with her ID was left at home as well, and she left her dog too. These are things she just wouldn’t do."
On being asked if Rio was being stalked, Laura said, "I don’t think she had a stalker but it’s a possibility. She did use the dating site 'MeetMe' and was dating a big-time drug dealer at one point."
'Rio, you are very cared about and missed'
Speaking about the role of law enforcement, she said, "Law enforcement has been very quiet but I believe they are doing the best they can with what little information they have. It seems like none of the CCTV footage they went through never caught Rio. Some speculate she never left the trailer park. There’s a private investigator on the case as well."
Multiple searches for Rio have been arranged by friends and family, and flyers have been handed out. "People have even been door-knocking in the area she went missing to hand out the flyers. The community is working very hard to help spread the word about Rio and it's amazing to see people who didn’t even know her care and help," Laura said.
"I would like to tell law enforcement to not let this case go cold, and do everything they can to find Rio because she doesn’t deserve whatever has happened to her," she added. "If Rio could hear me I’d tell her “I love you and don’t give up, keep fighting wherever you may be, and everyone is doing their best to find you. You are very cared about and missed!”"
Every year, more than 6,00,000 individuals go missing in the United States, according to NamUs, an organization that provides support to resolve missing person and unidentified remains cases. Many of them are quickly found, safe and alive, but many cases go cold. Several families never get to see their loved ones alive.