JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Nearly two years after 12-year-old Lori Paige was reported missing, her father, 36-year-old Andrew Wiley, has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder, the Tallahassee Police Department announced Friday.

Wiley reported Lori missing on June 3, 2023, claiming she had left their home overnight with her backpack while he was at work. For 22 months, detectives pursued hundreds of leads across Florida and Georgia, conducted out-of-state interviews, analyzed digital evidence, and conducted extensive searches, ultimately leading to the arrest.

“This case has deeply impacted our community for nearly two years,” said Police Chief Lawrence Revell. “Lori deserved a safe home and a full life. While today’s arrest will never bring her back, it does bring us one step closer to justice.”

Key developments emerged over the course of the investigation. In early 2024, forensic analysis of a phone seized from Wiley’s home revealed disturbing internet searches involving remote locations with bodies of water in Georgia and Alabama, TPD said.

According to TPD, detectives increasingly focused on Wiley, noting inconsistencies in his story and new information about his relationship with Lori.

Searches of a brush-covered area in Thomas County, Georgia initially yielded no results. But on April 5, 2025, after a prescribed burn cleared dense vegetation, investigators returned and discovered human remains. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement later confirmed the remains were those of Lori Paige.

TPD credited the outcome to the persistence of its investigators and the support of community members and partner agencies.