Alabama woman found two years after going missing in Europe

‘I’m happy to know our prayers have been answered,’ says Ela Vaughn, who hasn’t heard from her sister, Nicole Denise Jackson, since 2019

Nicole Denise Jackson, 23, has been found in Germany after her family was unable to reach her for two years (WBRC)

A young woman from Alabama who vanished in Europe two years ago has finally been found, her family says.

Nicole Denise Jackson, 23, left her Birmingham area home for Germany at the end of 2018, and eventually stopped answering calls and texts. Her family hasn’t heard from her in two years.

On Friday, a private investigator finally found her.

“Nicole has been located,” the family told WBRC. “She’s safe and in good health. She has been verified by the State Department in person.”

Ms Jackson, who is a singer, allegedly moved to Germany to study music – and, her family later learned, to be with a man she’d met online. After she got there, she continued speaking with her family for about a year, occasionally sending a “Happy birthday” text or some other perfunctory communication.

Then, around Christmas of 2019, she went silent.

“I know this is not like her,’’ Ms Jackson’s older sister, Ela Vaughn, told AL.com in July. “When I say no one has talked to her, I mean no one.”

In July, Ms Vaughn and her father, Antonio Jackson, hired a detective to find Ms Jackson, and also prepared to travel to Munich to look for her themselves.

The detective got to her first. Digging through Ms Jackson’s emails, the P.I. managed to identify the man Ms Jackson was living with, and contacted his employer and landlord.

Before long, Ms Jackson – apparently aware her family was looking for her – walked into a State Department outpost and showed proof of her identity.

However, she still hasn’t spoken to her family.

“She’ll reach out to us when he’s ready,’’ Ms Vaughn told AL.com. “I feel a whole lot better. She will eventually reach out. I know she will.”

Ms Vaughn still doesn’t understand why her sister stopped communicating with their family, but says the important thing is that she’s alive.

“I’m more at peace. I’d still like to hear her voice,’’ Ms Vaughn said. “I’m happy to know our prayers have been answered. She’s safe and she’s OK.”