A Florida father is desperately searching for his missing teenage daughter, fearing she may have been lured away from home. Sophia Cover, 16, vanished from their Naples home in the early hours of July 31, just weeks before she was set to start the school year.
Richard Cover, 54, told The Post that nothing seemed unusual before his daughter disappeared around 12:45 a. m. He believes someone may have convinced her to leave under false pretenses.
“That’s why I think that somebody convinced her to leave under the false pretenses,” he shared Friday evening.
Sophia was last seen on surveillance footage leaving the house with a bag packed with clothes, a new pair of Nike sneakers, and a flatiron. Her father noted she “enjoyed seeking out attention from others,” which makes him suspect coercion. “I think someone has my daughter.
That’s my best answer,” he said.
The alarm was raised around 6:15 a. m. when Richard heard the family dog wailing inside Sophia’s bedroom.
After knocking with no response, he found the door locked—something he called “weird.” He and his girlfriend then checked security cameras, revealing Sophia had left hours earlier.
Her location-sharing app has been disabled, and her phone goes straight to voicemail. The family moved to Florida five months ago, and Sophia was reportedly excited about her new life and returning to school. “So there’s no issue with her not wanting to be here,” Richard insisted.
Collier County authorities have launched a multi-agency investigation, while the family searches online and in the community for clues. As the hours tick by, one question lingers: where is Sophia Cover?
