The family initially believed she had simply lost contact while flying home to surprise them.
“I just want her home and safe or to hear her gorgeous little voice,” Kennedy told Teesside Live.
Culley’s father, Neil Culley, and aunt had flown to Thailand in an attempt to find her before news of the arrest broke. Authorities in Georgia have since confirmed her identity to Cleveland Police in the UK.
Background
Culley had recently completed a nursing course at Middlesbrough College and was reportedly travelling with a friend. Her family said they had concerns about her planned visit to Thailand.
“I really didn’t want her to go to Thailand. I begged her to come home,” her mother said. “But she wanted to meet up with some friends she made on a previous trip. I don’t know who any of them are.”
