Mother of Missing Teen: You Just Need to Come Home

Jan. 21, 2008 — -- Two teen lovers from Michigan are still missing today, nine days after driving off with a family minivan, a dog and several hundred dollars of cash.

This weekend, there were reports that one of the teens had called a friend to say they were OK.

The evening that 13-year-old Hannah McConnell ran away from her home in an apparently desperate move to be with her 15-year-old boyfriend, she had an argument with her parents about the relationship.

"It seemed to be just a normal night at home until she went to bed. She took one of the phones into the room," Hannah's mother, Julie McConnell, said on "Good Morning America" today.

The teen was talking to Gage Petherbridge secretly, which upset her parents because she was not allowed to date. In the past the family had discussions about limiting Hannah's contact with Petherbridge.

"After the little flare-up, it seemed to resolve itself — [there was] no indication that this would [happen]," said Hannah's father, John McConnell, told "GMA" today.

Petherbridge took his mother's minivan and ran off with Hannah during the early morning hours of Jan. 12 from Vienna Township, 65 miles northwest of Detroit. The couple grabbed $680 in cash, an Xbox 360 game system and Petherbridge's cocker spaniel, Mandy.

Petherbridge left a note saying he needed to be with Hannah.

Police still are searching for the pair. Both teens' families got their first new news about the love-struck couple Saturday when Hannah reportedly called a Nevada friend from a motel room to say the two were fine, but running low on money.

Since then, the McConnells said they have received no additional information about their daughter's whereabouts.

"We haven't really heard anything official in a couple of days," said Julie McConnell. "I haven't slept since this happened — maybe two hours at a time because I'm afraid if I fall asleep, I won't hear the phone when it rings."

"The worst part is just not knowing. Anything could happen to them when they're out there. They are only just kids," Julie McConnell said.

Julie McConnell said she is worried about Hannah's mental health because the teen suffers from bipolar disorder.

"We find out about a week before she left that she hadn't been taking [her medication] for a few weeks," Julie McConnell said.

They immediately put her back on the medication, but Hannah took it for only five days before her disappearance. Her mother said she did not take the medication with her and worries if Hannah may be suicidal.

Hannah's diary entries revealed disturbing information, her mother says.

"Her journal entries … flip-flop back and forth. One is all upbeat and how she is going to work on getting better and then the next one is 'I want to kill myself,'" Julie McConnell said.

Before Hannah ran away, the McConnells said they felt Hannah, who has attempted suicide in the past, was doing well and trying to keep up with their deal.

Her parents said if she continued to get good grades, take her medication and go to therapy they would revisit the issue of Petherbridge coming back into Hannah's life.

"We thought we were on a positive note," said Julie McConnell, who added she thought Hannah just had a schoolgirl's crush. She didn't believe it was anything too serious, but acknowledged her daughter was sort of "obsessed" with Petherbridge.

Both families said they only want the safe return of their children.

"My heart's breaking, Gage, and I want you to come home. You need to come home," said Petherbridge's mother, Mary Wismer.

"We love you, Hannah. We miss you. You're not in trouble for anything," Julie McConnell said. "You just need to come home and be safe. [We] can work something out."