US Teenager Rescued from Captivity After Contacting Another Player in “Among Us”
Police in the US state of Oregon have freed a 17-year-old girl who had been held captive for about a year and a half. She called for help by contacting another player in the online game “Among Us”.
Law enforcement in the US state of Oregon has freed a 17-year-old girl who had been held captive for roughly a year and a half. She managed to call for help in an unusual way: by communicating with another player in the popular online game “Among Us”. The 39-year-old suspect now faces federal charges.
The disappearance
The girl, from the state of Utah, went missing in May 2025, when she was 15. The suspect, Adam Harmel, first contacted her through the Snapchat app, offered her money for travel and later came to pick her up himself, luring her into his car. Soon afterwards he threw the victim's phone into a river and took her to his home in Oregon. There he locked her in a basement and held her for a total of 521 days.
The chance to escape
An opportunity arose when the man gave the girl a smartphone with no mobile data connection and no SIM card. Traditional means of communication were unavailable, but the device could use Wi-Fi to play games. While playing the social deduction game “Among Us”, created by the studio Innersloth, the girl began communicating with a younger player. She later continued the conversation on another social media platform, revealing her real identity and location.
The other player immediately told their mother about the unusual situation, and she contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). During a video call, investigators confirmed the girl's condition and whereabouts. Police arrived at the suspect's property the same day and freed her.
Charges
Harmel has been detained and faces federal charges of transporting a minor across state lines with intent to exploit her.
