Missing 12yo Aria Groves found in sex trafficking sting, according to Groves’ mother, who died in April

Social media says the 12-year-old Aria Groves missing person case has concluded with Groves’ successful recovery from sex traffickers in a U.S. Marshals sting. This good news seems to come directly from Groves’ mother, but there’s still no explanation why someone posted Groves ‘ mother’s obituary in April 2025.

True crime creator Matt Thibodeau has closely followed the Groves case. In a November 4, 2025, post, Thibodeau said that Aria Groves’ mother, Amber— who, according to an online obituary which has since been deleted, died in April—confirmed that Aria had been found safe in Jacksonville, Florida, following what she described as a major U.S. Marshals operation.

According to Amber, her daughter, Aria, and her girlfriend, known as Mary but allegedly named Angelie, were found at Angelie’s grandmother’s apartment, whom Amber accuses of contacting her under pretenses to obtain details about the ongoing investigation.

Amber, who is sometimes identified online as Amber Groves and other times Amber Lampz, said she grew suspicious after the woman attempted to misdirect search efforts, prompting her to investigate Aria’s secondary, previously unknown Instagram account.

The account’s data led directly to the grandmother’s address, which Amber relayed to police before officers reportedly swarmed the complex in a sex trafficking sting.

Amber said her daughter was now being interviewed and had sent a laughing emoji on Instagram shortly after being located.

Did the U.S. Marshals sting happen?

At this writing, there is no U.S. Marshals press release on its website about a major sex trafficking sting in Jacksonville, when there typically would be. No local Jacksonville media has reported on a sex trafficking operation so far, either.

Amber’s supposed obituary, which mentioned leaving behind her daughters, Aria, Elena, and Rihanna, also remains unexplained. In her social media posts sharing the news about Aria’s disappearance, Amber mentioned her other children, Elena and Rihanna.

At the same time, Amber Groves’ obituary still appears in Google searches, but the page itself is deleted. One possible explanation: Someone posted the obituary on Ever Loved. Users can create free memorial websites, publish obituaries, share stories, upload photos, raise funds, and coordinate events. Ever Loved, however, has faced several Better Business Bureau complaints over unauthorized obituary postings and fundraising issues.

What happened to Amber Groves?

According to Groves’ mother, Aria disappeared after leaving home with her girlfriend. Amber said she first realized Aria was missing after reading Facebook Messenger exchanges suggesting the girls had arranged an Uber ride together. However, she said she could not verify whether the trip actually occurred.

According to Amber, Aria’s FB message said, “Listen, I am in danger. I really need to Uber to you or Lex. If I order it, it will show my location even if my phone dies. Please help me. I don’t want to go back to the grown man’s house — he creeps me out. Please.” It’s unclear if Aria sent that message to her mom or to Mary (Angelie) as some on social media now report.

Amber went to say she believed Aria had been manipulated into leaving and later suspected the situation was linked to a larger trafficking network, claiming Angelie had been “on the radar” for recruiting minors. As of early November 2025, however, no official confirmation from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office or local media has confirmed these claims.