Toddler missing since 2019 found alive being held in secret room below a staircase, cops say
A toddler missing since 2019 was found living under the staircase of one of her alleged abductors, police said.
In July 2019, Paislee Shultis, 4, went missing in Tompkins County, New York, according to WRGB.
At the time, Saugerties police believed she was abducted by her non-custodial parents, Kimberly Cooper and Kirk Shultis Jr., according to the report. Shultis is Piaslee’s father.
On Feb. 14, police in New York searched a home on Fawn Road and the residents denied knowing the girl’s location, the report noted. However, a detective saw an odd section of staircase.
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When police shined a light in the crack, they saw a blanket. When officers removed the planks, they saw Paislee and her abductor in the space.
Cooper was charged with custodial interference and engendering the welfare of a child, according to WRGB. Kirk Sultis Jr. and Kirk Shultis Sr. were charged with the same counts.
The report stated that Paislee was in good health and turned over to her legal guardian. She was also reunited with her older sister, whom she hadn’t seen in years.
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