Woodfin police seek public help locating missing 15-year-old girl

Woodfin police were asking for the public’s help finding 15-year-old Knaylani Cail, who was reported missing from Woodfin on June 19. She was last seen wearing a blue T-shirt with a butterfly, black pants and no shoes. Anyone with information should call Woodfin police at (828) 253-4889 or dial 911.

The case has drawn urgency in a town where the Woodfin Police Department serves more than 7,000 residents and about 60,000 travelers passing through each day. That traffic makes missing-person reports a broader public-safety concern in Woodfin and across northern Buncombe County, where time and visibility can matter quickly when a child is unaccounted for.

The department is based at 90 Elk Mountain Rd. in Woodfin and operates as a full-service agency for the town. Emergency guidance from the town directs people to use 911 when immediate help is needed and to contact the police department directly for non-emergency information.

The North Carolina Center for Missing Persons also remains part of the state’s response network. The center has operated since 1985, serves as North Carolina’s clearinghouse for missing children and adults, and says it receives more than 10,000 missing-person reports each year. It maintains a 24-hour hotline at 1-800-522-KIDS, or 522-5437, for families and law enforcement needing immediate assistance.

State missing-children records remain active through the North Carolina Center for Missing Persons as police continue working to locate Cail. The center says most missing people are eventually returned or found and do not involve foul play, but investigators still rely heavily on quick public reporting, especially when a child is last seen without shoes and with limited identifying details beyond clothing.