In May 2021, authorities say Kamaria Johnson disappeared from her father’s Kentucky home. According to published reports, she left after an argument with her father. WHAS-11 reported Johnson was last seen at a local gas station after being picked up and finding a ride to the location.

Although there was a search to find Johnson, her mother never gave up hope about seeing her daughter again

In October 2021, Johnson’s case featured as a missing child on ID’s In Pursuit with John Walsh. The public was asked to contact John Walsh’s hotline directly with any information on where Johnson could be.

It wasn’t until December 2022, according to WDRB, Johnson's mother said she received a call that changed everything. She said Johnson was on the other end of the line and she was finally ready to come home. After 19 long months, Johnson wanted someone to pick her up in Memphis, Tennessee after leaving her father’s Kentucky house more than a year before.

According to WDRB, a local station that connected with Johnson directly and interviewed her, Johnson said her father was abusive and she didn’t have a choice but to flee. She said specifically, "I had to save myself. And I feel really guilty about it, but I just couldn't do it and it was just a lot to deal with, and no one was listening to me."

Although Johnson reportedly did not have a plan when she left, she made her way to Memphis, Tennessee telling the station, "I was still intensely in survival mode, but it was definitely safer than the situation that I was in."

Johnson said she was fearful of using social media or coming forward before she turned 18-years-old. The reason why she waited, reportedly, was because she did not want to take a chance being sent back into the home with her father in the alleged abusive environment she spoke about with the local station.

As for her future, Johnson said, she would like to learn how to drive and finish high school. She added, "I want to major in developmental psychology so that I can help kids who are going through things like this." For this holiday season, Johnson believes strongly, "Honestly, I got what I wanted for Christmas, reuniting with my family," she told WDRB.