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Missing girl returns home this morning

ALLEGHENY TWP - State police criminal investigators planned to interview 15-year-old Lexis Walker, who returned home this morning after being missing for more than 36 hours.

The girl's sudden appearance about 9 a.m. apparently caught family and police by surprise.

“She showed up on our front porch,” said stepfather Mark Durnell. “She looked weak, thirsty and hungry.”

She did not have any apparent physical injuries.

Helicopters, police dogs and numerous volunteers spent hours searching for the girl after she went missing Monday evening from her Locust Lane home.

She last seen by her twin brother, Levi Walker, between 7 and 8:30 p.m. Monday night. She had been playing horseshoes by herself near the woods behind the family's home at 115 Locust Lane.

When the family could not find her later, they contacted state police in Butler about 9 p.m.

That led to a more than 45-person search party on Tuesday.

However, multiple hours of searching yielded nothing in the immediate two- to four-mile radius area around the home, according to Cpl. Robert Donaldson, the crime supervisor with state police.

He called off the search about 2 p.m., saying the police had exhausted all leads and resources in the area but that state police would continue to investigate.

During Tuesday's search, state police were joined by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, a K-9 unit, helicopters, search and rescue dogs with the Pennsylvania Wilderness Search and Rescue and volunteer fire departments from Eau Claire, North Washington, Marion Township, Chicora, Unionville, Emlenton, Parker and Bruin.

Lt. Eric Hermick, who heads the crime unit at Troop D in Butler, said police were notified of Lexis' return but no other immediate information,

“She's back and no medical attention was not requested,” he said.

Two investigators were immediately sent to the girl's home to speak to her.

“We want to vet any information from her,” Hermick said. “We want to know where she's been, who she might have been with, what she did, and if anyone harbored her.”

Hermick said he did not believe the teen had met with any foul play.

“But once we interview her, we'll have know more. Did she leave for a good reason or was this just a case of a juvenile being a juvenile?

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