Byline: Bastrop County, Texas — July 2025
In a potentially game-changing discovery in the search for the 27 girls missing from Camp Wrenwood, rescue teams have found a child’s mud-covered shoe in the area of the flood’s most violent current — and what was discovered inside the shoe has stunned investigators and forced a new direction in the operation.
According to officials, the shoe — a pink size 3 sneaker — was located wedged between tree roots along a bend in Mill Creek known for debris pileup. But it wasn’t the shoe itself that caused immediate alarm — it was what was inside.
👟 A Hand-Drawn Symbol on Paper — “This Isn’t on Any Map”
Folded tightly beneath the insole was a small, crumpled piece of waterproof paper, believed to be part of a waterproof sketchbook issued to campers during a wilderness survival class.
On the paper: a hand-drawn triangle with a dot at the center, followed by a directional arrow and two words in pencil: “Follow Stones.”
Even more chilling: when GIS specialists cross-referenced the markings with the latest search grid, they realized the direction pointed toward a narrow ravine that doesn’t appear on standard maps — an unmapped access road used decades ago by oil surveyors, now overgrown and long forgotten.
“We didn’t even know that path existed,” said Search Unit Commander Rachel Flores. “We’re now deploying a dedicated unit to sweep that direction immediately.”
🧒 Could the Shoe Belong to Ella Monroe?
While identity is still unconfirmed, parents believe the shoe may belong to 10-year-old Ella Monroe, who was known for drawing maps and nature trails in her journal. Her father, Bryce Monroe, tearfully told reporters:
“If it’s her, she was trying to lead someone. She wouldn’t draw unless she had hope.”
Search dogs have also been redirected toward the ravine, and new drone flights are planned by nightfall with infrared tracking.
🧭 “Follow Stones” — Cryptic or Clever?
What “Follow Stones” refers to remains unclear. Some believe the children may have used river stones to mark a path, while others suggest it could lead to a dry cave system rumored to exist west of the old road.
“It could be something they learned in survival class — a code, a trail marker,” said camp counselor Jenna Lee, who taught the course. “I just pray it means they’re still moving, still waiting.”
🇺🇸 National Spotlight Intensifies
As the search enters its second week, this is the first physical clue directly tied to a missing girl found inside the most dangerous zone of the flood area.
Social media is now surging with the phrase #FollowTheStones, as Americans watch and hope that this single shoe may lead rescuers to something more — or someone.
🔚 Final Word
A hidden road.
A muddy shoe.
And the silent voice of a child still trying to be found.
Rescuers are racing against time — and following the trail only the brave could leave behind.