Missing 15-Year-Old Girl Found Dead Near Mysterious Burning Car

Lifestyle
Paul Johns
March 1, 2025
11 minutes read

Alissa Clark/GoFundMe

The family of 15-year-old Shaylee Snyder is searching for answers after the missing teen was found dead near railroad tracks alongside a burning vehicle. Snyder had been missing for more than two weeks before authorities discovered her body on Saturday afternoon on the southwest side of Indianapolis. Her family, devastated by the tragic loss, is now calling her death suspicious and urging a deeper investigation.

Snyder was first reported as a runaway on February 10, but her relatives insist she was in danger. While the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is treating the case as a death investigation rather than a homicide, that could change once the coroner’s office completes its examination.

The Marion County Coroner’s Office confirmed that Snyder’s body was found around 2:12 p.m. along the train tracks. Nearby, investigators discovered a black 2016 Chevrolet sedan that had been deliberately set on fire. “We figure the car that was found burning had something to do with her death,” Snyder’s grandfather told FOX8.

For 15 agonizing days, her family had plastered missing person flyers across the area, desperate for leads. Their worst fears were realized when the teenager’s body was discovered, and now they believe she may have been lured by an online predator. “She was lured into something that she probably shouldn’t have been,” her aunt told the outlet. “It’s so gut-wrenching.”

Beyond their grief, the family is expressing anger over how the case was initially handled. They claim that law enforcement did not take Shaylee’s disappearance seriously enough from the start, which they believe could have made a difference in finding her sooner.

“We feel like if we could’ve gotten some help and been on this a little more, she might’ve been found before it got this deep,” her grandfather said. “Shaylee was so loved and was so loving, and we just love her and we miss her,” her aunt added.

The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not yet determined the official cause of death. Detectives are urging anyone with information to come forward by contacting 317-327-3475. As the family seeks justice, they are left mourning a young life lost too soon, hoping that the truth behind Shaylee Snyder’s tragic death will soon be uncovered.

Snyder’s aunt, Alissa Clark, has created a GoFundMe page to help the family as they grieve the loss. The girl’s mother had to take off work during the search for her, and funds will reportedly be used for the funeral and other bills.