More than two years ago, a 4-year-old little girl named Paisley Shultis went missing. Miraculously Shultis was found on February 14, 2022.
According to NBC News, Shultis was found inside a home in Saugerties, New York. The 4-year-old was located in a makeshift room that was built underneath a staircase.
After Paisley went missing in July 2019 from Cayuga, investigators revealed that it was believed she was taken by her non-custodial parents, NBC News reported. As a result, Kimberly Cooper, Kirk Shultis, Jr., and Kirk Shultis, Sr. were arrested and charged.
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Police ended up in the home where Paisley was eventually found after following a string of leads. However, it was not the first time they were directed toward that residence.
“During some of the follow-ups to the Fawn Road location, authorities were permitted limited access into the residence to look around for the child, by both Kirk Shultis Sr and Jr. … knowing the child and her abductor were hidden within the house and would not be found,” police said.
However, that is not what happened. While inside the house this time, according to NBC News, it took detectives and officers an hour to discover the hidden room.
After flashing light between the steps of the staircase, Detective Erik Thiele noticed a blanket. “However, Detectives used a … tool to remove several of the wooden steps, and that is when detectives saw a pair of tiny feet. After removing several more steps, the child and her abductor were discovered within. The space was small, cold, and wet,” police said in a statement on Tuesday.
Paisley has since been returned to her legal guardians after paramedics found her to be in good health.
Shultis Sr. and Shultis Jr. were each charged with first-degree felony custodial interference and endangering the welfare of a child. Cooper was charged with custodial interference in the second degree and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child.
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While Cooper remains in custody due to an outstanding warrant, the Shultis has since been released. All three of the suspects have had protective orders issued against them.
The reason for abducting Paisley was not made immediately known.