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Ashley Marie Payung, 32, walked away from a rehabilitation facility in Luzerne County on Nov. 8, 2022, and had not been seen or heard from since, troopers said in a release.
But on Sunday, Feb. 26, her loved ones received a phone call that police are describing as "suspicious."
"The conversation seemed as if Ashley was instructed what to say due to long pauses before answering, where whispers could be heard in the background and the speaker being muffled or muted periodically," authorities wrote.
On the phone, Ashley told her family she was "okay" and "near the area of Mohegan Sun Casino."
She is described as a 5-foot-4 white woman weighing about 115 pounds with blonde hair that may have been dyed, and blue eyes. Ashley has tattoos, including on her forearms, a mushroom design on her outer right ankle, and a butterfly on her upper back, police said.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call Hellertown police at 610-838-7040 ext. 107 or call the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-472-8477. Tips can also be submitted online at the Crime Stoppers website.
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