A six-year-old girl missing for two years has been found alive and in good health in a makeshift room beneath a staircase in a house in New York state, police said. Officers discovered Paislee Shultis on Monday in Saugerties, about 180 miles from where she vanished in Spencer.
Police believe she was abducted by her biological non-custodial parents, Kimberly Cooper, 33, and Kirk Shultis Jr, 32, who have been arrested and charged. The couple did not have custody of the child at the time of her disappearance.
Acting on a tip, police obtained a search warrant and went to the girl’s grandfather’s house in Saugerties. After searching for about an hour, they found the child hidden in a dark, wet enclosure under a closed staircase leading to the basement. Upon removing the step boards, they discovered Paislee and her mother hiding inside.
The girl was taken to police headquarters, where paramedics examined her. She was found to be in good health and was released to her legal guardian. Her parents and grandfather, Kirk Shultis, 57, face charges of custodial interference and endangering the welfare of a child.
Police had interviewed Kirk Shultis Jr several times since the girl went missing. He maintained he had no knowledge of her location and claimed he had not seen the child.
