Last Seen: Mother of missing 16-year-old asks U.S. Marshals to join search

ShareAdd Us On GoogleAdd as a preferred source on GoogleWAGENER, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - More than seven weeks after 16-year-old Rhonda “Lilly” Bennett left her home in Wagener, her mother is asking the U.S. Marshals to become fully involved in the search.Lilly’s mother, Jamie Pope, said every day without her daughter brings more questions and no answer on whether Lilly is safe.Rhonda "Lilly" Bennett(Contributed)Timeline of the night Lilly leftLilly left in the early morning hours of Sept. 6, Pope said.“Her last time on social media was at 2:02 a.m. She stayed in the house for an hour and 20 minutes. At 2:55 a.m., she turned off her Life360. And then she climbed out the window at 3:22 a.m.,” Pope said.Pope said Lilly left a note saying she needed a break and planned to go to Rock Hill, where her father lives. Pope said Lilly never arrived there, and the family, including her father, has not heard from her.“I haven’t seen her face. This is the longest that I’ve been without seeing my baby,” Pope said.Runaway listing and search timelineLilly is listed as a runaway because of the circumstances surrounding her disappearance. Pope said she fears the situation has become more dangerous.“Runaways are the perfect target for the streets, for the horrible world that we live in right now. They’re perfect targets for people such as traffickers or drug dealers,” Pope said.Pope said that because Lilly ran away, the search has not been as urgent.“The first search that I know of is four days after she went missing. And they said they searched another house six days after. They didn’t come out to check camera footage in town until the next Sunday,” Pope said.Ring video from LumbertonA Ring doorbell video later began circulating on social media. The video is from Lumberton, N.C., which is more than 200 miles from Wagener and more than 100 miles from Rock Hill.Pope said the video was sent to her over social media. The video was traced to the original homeowner, who did not want to be identified. The homeowner said she first shared it as a warning about teens playing ding-dong ditch. Another Facebook user later sent it to Pope after seeing her posts about Lilly.Pope said she believes the clothing, shoes and voice in the video could belong to her daughter.“She’s wearing my shorts and a shirt that her sister recognized right away. And the Crocs that she left the house in,” Pope said.Investigators obtained the video and spoke with the homeowner. The sheriff’s office said the footage ends after the person knocks on the door, and investigators have not been able to confirm whether it is Lilly.Pope said she went to Lumberton to look for answers.“By the time I got up there, Lumberton police had already been out there and knocked on both that door and the neighbor’s door,” Pope said.Investigation continuesPope wants the U.S. Marshals fully involved in the search. A spokesperson for the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office said the office has been assisted by the U.S. Marshals and SLED and is still actively working the case.Investigators said they are following leads in areas where Lilly has reportedly been seen, most recently in West Columbia. Investigators also said they have reviewed several surveillance systems from businesses in the Wagener area. Flock cameras have been used, and SLED continues to monitor them for leads.Pope said her goal is to find her daughter and bring her home.“Are you going to get a call saying that she’s home, that they found her and she’s okay and they’re bringing her home — or are you going to get the other call?” Pope said.Anyone with information that could help find Lilly can contact the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office at 803-642-1761.Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.WAGENER, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - More than seven weeks after 16-year-old Rhonda “Lilly” Bennett left her home in Wagener, her mother is asking the U.S. Marshals to become fully involved in the search.Lilly’s mother, Jamie Pope, said every day without her daughter brings more questions and no answer on whether Lilly is safe.Rhonda "Lilly" Bennett(Contributed)Timeline of the night Lilly leftLilly left in the early morning hours of Sept. 6, Pope said.“Her last time on social media was at 2:02 a.m. She stayed in the house for an hour and 20 minutes. At 2:55 a.m., she turned off her Life360. And then she climbed out the window at 3:22 a.m.,” Pope said.Pope said Lilly left a note saying she needed a break and planned to go to Rock Hill, where her father lives. Pope said Lilly never arrived there, and the family, including her father, has not heard from her.“I haven’t seen her face. This is the longest that I’ve been without seeing my baby,” Pope said.Runaway listing and search timelineLilly is listed as a runaway because of the circumstances surrounding her disappearance. Pope said she fears the situation has become more dangerous.“Runaways are the perfect target for the streets, for the horrible world that we live in right now. They’re perfect targets for people such as traffickers or drug dealers,” Pope said.Pope said that because Lilly ran away, the search has not been as urgent.“The first search that I know of is four days after she went missing. And they said they searched another house six days after. They didn’t come out to check camera footage in town until the next Sunday,” Pope said.Ring video from LumbertonA Ring doorbell video later began circulating on social media. The video is from Lumberton, N.C., which is more than 200 miles from Wagener and more than 100 miles from Rock Hill.Pope said the video was sent to her over social media. The video was traced to the original homeowner, who did not want to be identified. The homeowner said she first shared it as a warning about teens playing ding-dong ditch. Another Facebook user later sent it to Pope after seeing her posts about Lilly.Pope said she believes the clothing, shoes and voice in the video could belong to her daughter.“She’s wearing my shorts and a shirt that her si