Tennessee man arrested for kidnapping as missing Vernon Parish teen found safe

VERNON PARISH, La. (KPLC) - A Tennessee man has been arrested in Rutherford County after a missing Vernon Parish teen was found in his home, according to the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Sam Craft has announced the arrest of Mark Owen, 35, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee by the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office and Agents from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

The arrest was the result of a complaint the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office received on August 11, regarding a missing 17-year-old girl.

When deputies arrived at the teen’s residence in the Savage Forks area they spoke with the girl’s family who told them that she had last been seen the previous night around 8:30 p.m.

During their investigation, detectives identified Owen as a person of interest and contacted the Louisiana State Police Fusion Center to assist in the investigation. Louisiana State Police then contacted law enforcement agencies in seven states, including Tennessee, to assist in locating Owen and the teen.

Officers from the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office and Agents from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation were able to locate Owen and the teen at the suspect’s residence on Wednesday, Aug. 12, around 6 p.m.

The teen was then handed over to Tennessee Child and Family Services.

Owen was arrested for aggravated kidnapping on a Vernon Parish warrant and will be extradited back to Louisiana.

Sheriff Craft thanked all the agencies involved in Owen’s arrest and the safe return of the teen.