Audio By Carbonatix
A six-year-old girl who was reported missing in 2019 was found alive under a secret set of stairs at her grandfather’s New York home on Monday.
ABC News reports Paislee Shultis, who was four when she disappeared, was discovered in a hidden room beneath a staircase in Saugerties, a town in the Hudson River Valley located about 110 north of New York City. A medical evaluation showed Shultis is healthy, and she was subsequently returned to her legal guardian.
Paislee Shultis was initially reported missing from Cayuga Heights, a village in the town of Ithaca, in July, 2019. Police say Shultis had been abducted by her non-custodial parents, Kimberly Cooper and Kirk Shultis Jr.
Cooper and Kirk Shultis Jr. lost custody of the girl in 2019.
After receiving a tip about a child being held “within a hidden location,” Police executed a search warrant on the property, where they ultimately discovered Paislee.
“Upon inspecting the staircase, the structure appeared to be solid. However, detectives used a [halligan] tool to remove several of the wooden steps, and that is when detectives saw a pair of tiny feet,” according to law enforcement.
It wasn’t the first time Police had visited the residence, only to have Cooper and Shultis deny having “any knowledge of the little girl’s whereabouts.”
“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.
Cooper, 33, was charged with custodial interference in the second degree and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child. Kirk Shultis Jr., 32, and Kirk Shultis Sr., 57, were both charged with one count each of felony of custodial interference in the first degree and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child.
“Number one, this little girl didn’t have an opportunity to go to school. We are pretty certain that she probably wasn’t receiving proper medical attention,” Saugerties Police Chief Joseph Sinagra said, per WLNY. “Obviously, the family just couldn’t take her to a doctor because she was a reported missing person. The other concern is you have a child that doesn’t write or read because they didn’t have the opportunity to go to school. They will now.”
Authorities say the investigation is still ongoing. Paislee is now with her legal guardian, with whom the girl’s older sister has been living with.
Latest Stories
-
Three killed, nine injured as gunmen attack Odomi community in Nkwanta South
2 minutes -
“We’re tired of promises”—Asankrangwa residents demand urgent action over bad roads
4 minutes -
President of Oti House of Chiefs condemns latest killings, attacks in Nkwanta South
5 minutes -
Student loan deductions to begin next month – Dr Saajida Shiraz
13 minutes -
Government imposes curfew on communities in Nkwanta South Municipality
16 minutes -
Fifth batch Ghanaian Hajj pilgrims return home
16 minutes -
Thomas-Asante’s Coventry play champions Arsenal in Premier League opener
24 minutes -
Complete Farmer uses technology to end guesswork and connect Ghanaian farmers to global markets
25 minutes -
Interior Minister imposes curfew on parts of Nkwanta South over security concerns
27 minutes -
CPP urges immediate repairs of roads nationwide
27 minutes -
GMet alerts public to cloudy skies and early morning fog
36 minutes -
Petition filed against Ken Agyapong over anti-NPP comments, misconduct
39 minutes -
USTED launches maiden career fair to bridge gap between students and industry
43 minutes -
Gov’t to start student loan salary deductions for over 4,000 public sector workers in July 2026
47 minutes -
Government considers transfer of Gold Fields Tarkwa mine to local firms after expiration of lease
49 minutes