child abduction

Read the latest news about recent child abductions and stories of kidnapped children on Newser.com

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He Vanished From Park in 1951 at Age 6. He Just Turned Up

Luis Armando Albino is tracked down by family members from Oakland

(Newser) - An online DNA test and an especially persistent family member have helped solve a missing-persons cold case that's lasted decades. Luis Armando Albino is a grandfather, Marine Corps veteran, and retired firefighter living on the East Coast—and now he can add "found" to that list, after it...

Man Who Kidnapped Girl, 9, Gets 47 Years to Life

She was found in his camper 2 days after she was kidnapped from NY campground

(Newser) - A man who kidnapped a 9-year-old girl from a campground in upstate New York pleaded guilty to two felonies Wednesday and will serve at least 47 years in prison. Craig Ross Jr., 46, was sentenced to 25 years to life for first-degree kidnapping and 22 years to life for predatory...

They Were Stabbed and Left to Die. 50 Years Later, a Suspect

Indianapolis cops say Thomas Edward Williams, attacked 2 sisters, friend in 1975; he has since died

(Newser) - A nearly 50-year-old cold case surrounding three young girls stabbed and left to die in an Indiana cornfield has finally reached a conclusion, although it's one that will end without justice. In a Thursday presser , the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department announced that DNA evidence was able to help identify...

Russia's Face of Child Rights Is Accused of War Crimes

Maria Lvova-Belova, Putin accused of moving thousands of Ukrainian kids to Russia, per 'NYT'

(Newser) - Millions of Ukrainians have been killed , injured , or displaced since the war Russia started almost two years ago. Then there are "the most forlorn victims of Russia's invasion," per the New York Times : the Ukrainian children "stolen" from their homeland, taken without their or their family'...

Family of Girl Thought Killed by Hamas Now Has Hope

Family told by Israeli officials that Emily Hand, 8, may be alive, being held hostage in Gaza

(Newser) - When Tom Hand first got the news after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel that his 8-year-old daughter, Emily, was among those who'd been killed, he said he actually felt relief. "Death was a blessing," the Irish citizen told CNN at the time in an emotional interview...

Canadian Author Pleads Guilty to Abducting Son

Prosecutors said Dawn Walker faked their deaths before fleeing to Oregon

(Newser) - A Canadian author accused of faking her death and the death of her 7-year-old son before fleeing to Oregon last year has pleaded guilty to charges including parental abduction, but will probably avoid prison time. Dawn Walker, an award-winning Indigenous writer from Saskatchewan, also pleaded guilty Thursday to possession of...

9-Year-Old Who Vanished While Camping Is Found Safe

New York State Police say a suspect is in custody

(Newser) - The search for a New York girl who disappeared while on a family camping trip has ended in relief. "Charlotte Sena has been located and in good health," New York State Police said Monday evening in a statement, per ABC News . "A suspect is in custody."...

Illinois Girl Vanished 6 Years Ago, Turns Up in North Carolina
She Was Abducted 6 Years Ago.
A Netflix Watcher Found Her
in case you missed it
May 20, 2023 4:30 PM CDT

She Was Abducted 6 Years Ago. A Netflix Watcher Found Her

Illinois' Kayla Unbehaun, 15, turns up in North Carolina; mom is arrested

(Newser) - In November, the Netflix series Unsolved Mysteries featured an episode on family abductions, including the case of Kayla Unbehaun, who vanished from South Elgin, Illinois, at the age of 9 after a visit with her mom, who didn't have custody of her. Nearly six years later, Kayla, now 15,...

Older Brother Saves Girl With His Slingshot

13-year-old fires at abductor, sending him fleeing

(Newser) - When a man emerged from the northern Michigan woods and grabbed an 8-year-old girl in her backyard, her older brother jumped into action: He grabbed a slingshot. The girl struggled, fighting her attacker until she was able to break free, WJBK reports. At that moment, the 13-year-old boy took aim...

She Claimed a Kidnapping Attempt. Now, 'Justice'

Katie Sorensen's videos falsely accusing Latino couple of trying to abduct her kids went viral

(Newser) - A California influencer who accused a Latino couple of trying to kidnap her young kids in a Michael's craft store in Petaluma in December 2020 was found guilty this week of falsely reporting a crime. Per a release cited by CBS San Francisco , Katie Sorensen, 31, was convicted Wednesday...

Cleo Smith's Abductor Wanted Girl to 'Dress Up'

Terence Kelly is now paying for living out a fantasy: authorities

(Newser) - The man who kidnapped a 4-year-old girl from a campsite in Australia and held her captive for nearly three weeks was sentenced Wednesday. Terence Kelly received 13 years and six months in prison for the October 2021 abduction of Cleo Smith and won't be eligible for parole for 11...

Dollar General Employee Accused of Luring 11-Year-Old

Keith Lilliock of Pennsylvania allegedly offered girl a ride, touched her under her shirt

(Newser) - Pennsylvania police say they found an 11-year-old girl abducted by a man who admitted to a past attraction to young girls after geotracking her iPad. Keith Lilliock, 43, has been charged with luring a child into a motor vehicle and interfering with the custody of a child, according to the...

Girl, 13, Found Locked in Shed 2 Weeks After Vanishing

Jorge Ivan Santos Camacho, 34, reportedly smiled as charges against him were read

(Newser) - A 13-year-old girl who went missing from Dallas, Texas, nearly two weeks ago has been found alive in North Carolina. Police say the teen met the 34-year-old suspect, Jorge Ivan Santos Camacho, on an app and he groomed her and convinced her to run away from her family, NBC DFW...

Abducted Twins Are Found 175 Miles Apart

Kyair and Kason Thomass found safe after Ohio kidnapping; suspect arrested

(Newser) - An infant has been found alive in Indianapolis three days after he and his twin brother were abducted outside an Ohio pizzeria; a suspect has been arrested in their kidnapping. "A photo is worth a thousand words," the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department tweeted Thursday night, showing 5-month-old Kason...

She Vanished From Her Home. A FedEx Driver Has Been Arrested

Tanner Lynn Horner is accused of abducting Athena Strand, 7, from her Texas home, killing her

(Newser) - After an intense search for a missing girl involving the FBI, the US Marshals Service, the Texas Rangers Division, and the state's Department of Family and Protective Services, grim news out of North Texas. At a Friday night press conference , Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin announced that the body...

Family Is Still Searching for Girl Kidnapped in 1971

They're investigating a new tip about Melissa Highsmith, who would now be 52

(Newser) - Melissa Highsmith was 21 months old when she was kidnapped in Fort Worth, Texas, more than 50 years ago, but family members have never given up hope of seeing her again—or, for younger brother Jeff Highsmith, meeting her for the first time. Jeff Highsmith and his father have traveled...

Cops: Man Tried to Kidnap Girl, 10, Twice in 2 Days

Suspect tried to lure Fort Lauderdale girl into van with candy, police say

(Newser) - Police in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, are searching for a suspect who reflects longtime warnings about child molesters: The man allegedly tried to lure a girl into his van with candy. Police say the man made two attempts last week to abduct a 10-year-old girl, NBC Miami reports. Police say the...

Cops: Person of Interest in Family's Kidnapping Tried to Kill Himself

Jesus Manuel Salgado is in critical condition

(Newser) - Update: A person of interest in the disappearance of a California family is in custody and is in critical condition after trying to kill himself, police say. Authorities say 48-year-old Jesus Manuel Salgado's suicide attempt happened before law enforcement tracked him down, the Fresno Bee reports. Four family members,...

'That's the Girl! That's the Amber Alert Girl!'

Disturbing details emerge on alleged kidnapping of rescued Mikell Debina, 15, on Hawaii's Big Island

(Newser) - A 15-year-old girl allegedly snatched off a beach on the island of Hawaii is now safe and sound once more, and details are emerging on what may have happened during the 24 hours she was missing. A release from the Hawaii Police Department reported that Mikella Debina was found in...

Ex-Superintendent Allegedly Lured 2 Kids Into His Car

Police allege William Morrison offered to pay the children to babysit

(Newser) - As recently as 2017, William Morrison was an Ohio schools superintendent. On Thursday, he was arrested for allegedly trying to kidnap two children in Huntington, W. Va. The Columbus Dispatch reports the 59-year-old, who now lives in that city, allegedly pulled up to a 9-year-old boy and 12-year-old girl he...

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