Girl missing for two years found hidden under stairs
<p>After being reported missing for two years, six-year-old Paislee Shultis has been found.</p><p>According to the <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/02/15/paislee-shultis-girl-missing-since-2019-found-alive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a>, the girl was reported missing from her home in upstate New York in July 2019 when she was just four years old. </p><p>Police initially suspected Paislee's non-custodial parents had something to do with her disappearance, but did not bring any charges. </p><p>Acting on an anonymous tip, authorities found Paislee over 240km away on Monday. </p><p>After a gruelling hour long search, police found Paislee and her non-custodial mother, Kimberly Cooper, hidden in a secret makeshift room under a staircase. </p><p>Detective Erik Thiele noted that something appeared odd about the staircase and saw a blanket after flashing a light between the steps.</p><p>“However, detectives used a ... tool to remove several of the wooden steps, and that is when detectives saw a pair of tiny feet,” police said in a statement on Tuesday.</p><p>“After removing several more steps, the child and her abductor were discovered within. The space was small, cold, and wet.”</p><p>The six-year-old was examined by paramedics and found to be in good health, and has been returned to her legal guardian. </p><p>Cooper and Kirk Shultis Jr., the girl’s non-custodial father, have been charged in the case of Paislee's disappearance, along with Shultis’ father.</p><p>The trio face custodial interference and child endangerment charges.</p><p><em>Image credits: Saugerties Police</em></p>
