Her parents were arrested.

Hidden beneath a staircase, a 6-year-old girl has been missing since 2019.

Paislee Shultis, just four years old, was missing when her legal guardian reported her missing. This was right after her biological parents had lost custody.

Her father Kirk Shultis Jr., and her mother Kimberly Cooper were suspected of abducting her. Police have been pursuing this suspicion for years. On Monday, they proved their innocence.

According to NY Daily News, investigators believe the child was found in a "Harry Potter" secret hiding spot beneath the stairs at her biological parents' Saugerties home. Cooper was found in that room with her.

Paislee's grandfather, Kirk Shultis Sr. (57 years old), was also arrested on the spot.

It wasn't immediately clear who was appointed their legal guardian or why Paislee's older sister was lost to her parents.

However, Paislee was not present when the county officials and the legal guardian went to pick up the siblings from school in July 2019.

"We believe that someone informed the parents that the older children had been taken into custody by the legal guardian as well as county officials, and that this caused the parents to flee to Paislee," Saugerties Police Chief Joseph Sinagra stated to CBS New York.

Investigators searched 150 miles away from Paislee’s Cayuga Heights home, searching the grandfather's house. But they never found anything. Paislee's father insisted that he had never seen her or her mother.

Police received a tip-off this week and obtained a search warrant. Detective Erik Thiele, who is eagle-eyed, noticed something unusual about the staircase that leads from the basement to the back of the house. He made an astonishing discovery by shining his flashlight between the steps.

"He saw what he thought was a blanket, and they began ripping off the steps. Sinagra stated that they had taken several steps off and could now see their small feet.

The little girl, who hadn't been seen for two years, was hiding in the hideaway. So was her mother.

It was very dingy. It was cold. It was cold. There were blankets on the concrete floor, and they were lying on the ground. Sinagra stated that they were extremely heavy and completely soaked.

"Now, it is our belief that every time we have gone to the residence with new leads in the last two years, this is where the mother and child would hide."

Police claim Paislee was released in good health. There was no evidence that Paislee had been subject to sexual or physical abuse.

CBS NY was shocked to hear from neighbors who said they'd never seen the little girl outside her home.

"Number one, this little boy didn't have the opportunity to go to school. Sinagra stated that it is likely that she wasn't getting proper medical attention. Sinagra said that her family couldn't take her to the doctor as she was a missing person. Another concern is that your child doesn't know how to read or write because they weren't able to go to school. They will.

Police claim that Paislee had her own bedroom in the home. Although officers had seen the bedroom in the house on previous searches, Sinagra claimed that the grandfather and father had an excuse.

"And it said, "Paislee" on the wall. It was evident that someone was sleeping in the bed, but it was also possible that somebody was using the bedroom. The Chief stated that the father and grandfather had made the room so that Paislee would have a place to return to if she was ever found.

Paislee's grandfather, father, and mother were all taken into custody and charged with child abuse and felony custodial interference. Shultis Sr., Jr., and Cooper were each released on bond. Cooper was detained because of an outstanding warrant.

Paislee has now been reunited to her big sister and guardian.

Officers reported that Paislee, on her way to the station, drove past a McDonald's. They bought Paislee a Happy Meal.

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Title: Six-Year-Old NY Girl Missing Since 2019 Found in 'Harry Potter' Hiding Place Under Stairs — Alive
Sourced From: toofab.com/2022/02/16/six-year-old-girl-missing-since-2019-found-alive-in-harry-potter-hiding-place-under-stairs-in-ny/
Published Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2022 17:12:07 +0000

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