Joniah Walker rescued after four-year abduction by Owen Anderson in Virginia
Joniah Walker, then 15, vanished from Milwaukee on June 23, 2022 after taking an Uber to Chicago for a movie. Police say 37‑year‑old Owen Anderson, who had been communicating with her online since she was 12, lured her to a Chicago theater and abducted her. He transported her to a small home in Blacksburg, Virginia, where she was held captive for nearly four years. During that time she was repeatedly physically and sexually abused, and Anderson disposed of her cell phone and a burner phone in a sidewalk trash can.
The victim was discovered on May 23 when Blacksburg police responded to a domestic‑disturbance call and took her to a local resource center. She identified Anderson as her abductor, and he was arrested on May 26. Anderson now faces felony charges in Virginia—including abduction of a child, child endangerment and strangulation—and in Wisconsin, including kidnapping, child enticement and child abduction. He is being held at the Western Virginia Regional Jail, with a preliminary hearing set for August 21.
Entities: Blacksburg · Blacksburg, Virginia · Joniah Walker · Milwaukee · Milwaukee County Prosecutors · Milwaukee, Wisconsin · Owen Anderson · Virginia · Western Virginia Regional Jail
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Walker was rescued on May 23 after Blacksburg police responded to a domestic disturbance call. (Police report)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Anderson disposed of Walker's cell phone and a burner phone in a sidewalk trash can. (Criminal complaint)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Anderson abducted Walker at a Chicago movie theater on June 23, 2022. (Police statements)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Anderson was arrested on May 26 and faces felony charges in Virginia (abduction, child endangerment, strangulation) and Wisconsin (kidnapping, child enticement, child abduction). (Charging documents)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Owen Anderson began communicating with Walker online in 2019 when she was 12. (Criminal complaint)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Walker was held captive in a small home in Blacksburg, Virginia for nearly four years. (Police investigation)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Joniah Walker, then 15, disappeared on June 23, 2022 after taking an Uber from Milwaukee to Chicago. (Police reports)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Walker was physically and sexually abused during her captivity. (Victim testimony and police reports)