Missing Teen Mackenzie Dalton Found, But An Arrest Confuses Folks

A teenager went missing in South Carolina and now an arrest has been made, but true crime followers seem a bit perplexed. It involved a 16-year-old girl named Mackenzie Dalton who made the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Read on to find out why people question what happened.

Found Safe

Dalton went missing in November, but per People, the news that the Sheriff’s office were looking for her only arrived on January 2. Within no time at all, an update arrived that she’d been found. And, her boyfriend, Mackenzie Keith English Jr. (who shares a first name with Dalton) was arrested.

Right now, it’s possible there were some harsh words said in the Dalton home because Mackenzie ran away and caused a lot of worry. However, when Law&Crime reported on the update during the Crime Fix segment this Tuesday, viewers had some questions.

What Happened?

On the YouTube vlog, Angenette Levy explained that although Dalton is home, English Jr., aged 18, ended up behind bars. According to the report, the police charged him with “obstruction of justice.” Allegedly, he didn’t tell the truth about a missing person.

Citing the sheriff’s office, Levy mentioned that Mackenzie Keith English Jr. lied “to investigators about being with McKenzie Dalton and knowing where she was located.” Well, that caused time and effort to be wasted by authorities, and they take a dim view of that. In fact, they’d been hunting for her and she was described as an “endangered runaway.”

Apparently, Mackenzie Dalton used a car when she left home, which was later found abandoned. That raised red flags, and a lot more questions. Apparently, some luggage was also found. Legal expert Matt Manino joined Levy and he explained more about why the man faces charges, but the 16-year-old girl doesn’t.

The Charges Explained 

Notably, he wasn’t arrested for engaging in intimacy with a minor. He’s 18 and she’s 16, which “isn’t a crime” in South Carolina. It’s all to do with what he described as a “Romeo and Juliet law” that protects consensual relationships between teens.

Additionally, the girl didn’t commit a true crime just because she ran away from home. But, Manino explained that she basically committed a “status crime” rather than a criminal code violation. As they talked about the case, it became clearer why police went after English Jr. The real issue was the fact that he allegedly kept information that could help the police to himself.

Mackenzie English Jr. allegedly knew the cops were looking for Dalton, while he knew exactly where she was. While people in the comments section thought that was a stupid reason to charge him, Manino argued that “obstructing justice is not a crime to just blow off.”

Even if the girl wanted to be with him, it’s a legal problem if someone lies to the police during a missing person case. It’s not clear yet, if he actually lied in so many words, or if he lied by omitting to report the fact that she was with him.

Reactions By Viewers 

Even with the explanation, many crime enthusiasts had something to say about the arrest and charges. One of them opined, “I’m glad she is safe however I think something is going on behind closed doors that the public is not aware of. I have questions.”

Here are a few more responses from the discussion area:

• Either both should be arrested or no one should be arrested.
• Idk about this…They technically didn’t break the law. the 16 year old biggest mistake was running away and not even reaching out to her family to let them know that she is ok and not in any harm.
• They should charge her as well. She knew what she was doing. The law says kids even younger than her know what they do so why now she all of a sudden has no accountability? A bunch of bs. Arrest him, arrest her.

What are your thoughts? Sound off in the comments below, and come back here often for all our true crime news and updates.