child abduction

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

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>

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...

After Girl Missing 2 Years Was Rescued, a Happy Meal

Paislee Shultis was reported missing in July 2019

(Newser) - Update: After the dramatic rescue of Paislee Shultis, police were driving the 6-year-old to the police station when they passed a McDonald's. The girl, who had been scared when she was initially found hiding with her mother, mentioned she hadn't eaten there in a long time, so detectives...

Student Helps Solve 58-Year-Old Murder Case
58-Year-Old
Murder Case
Cracked by
College Student
in case you missed it
Feb 13, 2022 5:10 PM CST

58-Year-Old Murder Case Cracked by College Student

Finding Marise Chiverella's killer was 'hardest thing that I've ever done,' says Eric Schubert

(Newser) - Pennsylvania state police have identified a man who raped and murdered a 9-year-old girl 58 years ago—with help from a college student. Marise Ann Chiverella was abducted while walking to school in Hazleton, 80 miles north of Philadelphia, on March 18, 1964. Her raped and strangled body was found...

After Father's 14-Year Search, Abducted Boy Is Found
After Father's
14-Year Search,
Abducted Boy
Is Found
in case you missed it
Dec 11, 2021 5:25 PM CST

After Father's 14-Year Search, Abducted Boy Is Found

Chinese couple had been looking for Sun Zhuo since he was taken in 2007

(Newser) - The story of their quest for their missing son inspired a hit 2014 movie. Now, seven years later, a cinematic ending. CNN reports that a couple who've searched the ends of China for their boy since 2007 were reunited with him on Monday. Sun Zhuo, now 18, was taken...

Girl Taken in 2007 Is Reunited With Mother

Police say Jacqueline Hernandez was brought to Mexico by her father

(Newser) - The police department in Clermont, Fla., has taken the unusual step of releasing a photo of a mother hugging her daughter. But this was no ordinary hug. It shows Angelica Vences-Salgado embracing 19-year-old Jacqueline Hernandez in Laredo, Texas, near the border with Mexico, reports CBS News . The two hadn't...

Stories 1 - 20 |  Next >>
Popular on Newser
We use cookies. By Clicking "OK" or any content on this site, you agree to allow cookies to be placed. Read more in our privacy policy.