On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Custody on Thursday, August 8, 2019.
Authorities in Missouri rushed into action, issuing an Amber Alert when they received word that a young woman and her infant son had been abducted. Supposedly, the child’s father was a suspect in the early stages of the investigation. The woman’s brother, a teenage boy, told authorities he witnessed the incident and flagged down a neighbor to call for help. What seemed at first to be a frightening kidnapping has morphed into a situation about child custody.
As authorities searched for the vehicle the woman and her brother alleged a kidnapper had used to abduct the mother and child, they also interviewed neighbors and family. Shockingly, after the Amber Alert was made public, a witness contacted police to say that she was looking right at the mother and child, and both were safe and sound in a fast food restaurant. When police questioned the teen brother again, he eventually admitted his sister had coerced him into lying.
As it turns out, the 22-year-old mother was just sick of living in her father’s home, saying she didn’t have many friends and would rather move to another state to live with her mom. Her mother confirmed she had sent money for a bus ticket for the mother and child. Authorities arrested the woman, and confirmed that the baby’s father, the original suspect, could not have been involved because he was incarcerated on other charges. The woman admitted to fabricating the story, and was jailed and faces several serious charges.
The woman’s father, with whom the woman had resided with her infant son, has assumed responsibility for the young boy. He says he is happy to care for the child as long as may be necessary. When a parent cannot care for his or her own child, another relative may want to establish, change or modify a child custody order, so that a guardian has the legal backing of a court order. In such cases, an experienced Missouri attorney may be a good starting point for an interested party.
