Seventeen-year-old Talayah Renee Thornton was reported missing from Riverdale, Maryland, with the listed missing date of March 9, 2026. Public missing-child notices identify her as a Black female with brown hair and brown eyes, standing about 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighing approximately 110 pounds. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children lists her case under NCMEC number 2080845 and NCIC number M618797413, and states that she was last seen on March 9, 2026 in Riverdale.
The available public information does not describe the circumstances of what happened that day, but it places the beginning of Talayah’s disappearance in Prince George’s County, where her family, community, and investigators have been left searching for answers.
When Talayah was last seen, she was reportedly wearing a black jacket, a tan shirt, and tan sweatpants. Additional identifying details shared in public alerts say she has a nose ring, a facial piercing on her right cheek, and a skull tattoo on her right hand. These details matter because they may help someone recognize her in passing, even if time has gone by or if her clothing has changed. NCMEC also reports that Talayah may have traveled to the area of Utica Avenue in Brooklyn, New York, a detail that broadens the search beyond Maryland and suggests that anyone in that part of New York, as well as anyone in Riverdale or the surrounding communities, could potentially hold information that helps locate her.
The Prince George’s County Police Department is listed as the investigating law enforcement agency, with public notices directing anyone with information to contact the department at 301-352-1200. NCMEC’s 24-hour call center is also listed as a point of contact at 1-800-843-5678, and NCMEC directs the public to call 911 or submit a tip if Talayah is seen or if someone has information about where she may be. Maryland State Police guidance for missing-person matters also emphasizes that missing-person reports are handled first through local law enforcement and that the Maryland Center for Missing and Unidentified Persons serves as the state clearinghouse for missing-person information.
As of the public notices available online, Talayah’s case is presented as a missing-child case, and no public source reviewed here states that she has been found alive or located deceased. The information available is limited and, in some places, brief, leaving the exact circumstances of her disappearance unclear. What is known is that Talayah Thornton, a 17-year-old girl from Riverdale, Maryland, was last seen on March 9, 2026; she was described with specific clothing, piercings, and a tattoo that could help identify her; she may have traveled to Brooklyn, New York; and authorities continue to ask the public for help. The overview of the case is that a teenager disappeared from Riverdale, her identifying details were circulated through national and local missing-child resources, and the search depends on anyone who may have seen her, heard from her, or learned even a small piece of information coming forward so Talayah can be found and her loved ones can have answers.Last Seen: Mar 9, 2026
