New York girl abducted by her father found safe in Thailand
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A New York girl kidnapped four years ago by her father has been found living in Thailand by FBI agents, Daily Mail online reported Friday.
She was tracked down to Bangkok two weeks ago after a long-running operation by the FBI and is said to be in good health.
Deonna Shipman, who is now eight, was allegedly snatched in July 2007 by Jeffery Shipman, 51, after he was denied custody.
The UK-based online reported her father, who used to work for the state Department of Transportation, was detained in Thailand on international parental kidnapping charges and then transported to Los Angeles, where he was arraigned.
Deonna has been returned to her Syracuse-area home, according to Onondaga County Sheriff Kevin Walsh. Shipman, US Marshals say, will eventually be returned to Onandoga County for further court appearances.
When her daughter was abducted, mother Lioubov Shipman became what experts call 'the left-behind parent'.
She will soon return to the Syracuse area from Russia - the native country where she has been studying nursing - to be reunited with her daughter.
Ms Shipman and her ex-husband, Jeffrey, shared joint custody of the little girl since their divorce three years ago. While she had physical custody, Shipman was allowed visitation only.
Both parents filed petitions seeking to modify the order in June of 2007 in Onondaga County Family Court.
At the family’s last court appearance, Shipman told his ex-wife: 'If I can’t have her, no one will.'
Authorities believe Shipman abducted Deonna after one of his court-appointed visits after losing the lengthy custody battle with his wife.
Police authorities tracked Shipman's car to Monroe County Airport in Rochester and later determined he had flown to London. At that point, though, they lost track of him.
He bought tickets to Frankfurt, Germany, also but these were never used. Authorities believe he bought them to throw them off the scent.
But FBI officials never let up in their search for Deonna, according to Walsh, finally finding her, and arresting Shipman, on February 24.
