Missing Columbia County teen found in Mexico

The runaway daughter of Columbia County Commissioner Scott Dean has been found.

Marlin "Lilly" Dean, 17, was located in Mexico and is expected to return to her Harlem home next week, Columbia County sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris said in an e-mail.

Morris refused to provide details of where and when Marlin was found or whether she was with anyone. The teen was last seen Oct. 19 near Augusta Mall.

The Deans have seven children. Marlin is the oldest of five siblings that Scott and Renee Dean adopted from Guatemala in 2008.

A week ago, four children were removed from the Dean's Harlem home by a Division of Family and Children Services caseworker. They were later released to a family member.

Morris would not comment on why the children were removed and did not supply the name of the family member to whom they were returned.

Dean commented in an e-mail sent to media on Friday that DFCS was called in to assist in the search for Marlin.

"Since that time, allegations, insinuations and lies were leaked to the media," Dean said in the statement. "These leaks have caused irreparable harm to our family."

On Tuesday, Columbia County voters re-elected Dean to the District 4 commission seat, for which he ran unopposed.