Missing Indiana Boy Found 19 Years Later

[News_Editor]

Missing Indiana boy found 19 years later < br />

2013-01-13 07:34:25 GMT+7 (ICT)

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA (BNO NEWS) -- A 5-year-old boy who was abducted in 1994 was found by police in Indiana 19 years later, local authorities said.

Richard Wayne Landers, Jr., a 5-year-old boy from LaGrange County, Indiana had been abducted on July 29, 1994 by his paternal grandparents, Richard E. and Ruth A. Landers. Indiana State Police in a statement confirmed that he had been located in Long Prarie, Minnesota, where he has been living, married and in good condition.

Indiana State Police Detective Jeff Boyd, on said that the elder Landers were allegedly upset over "pending court proceedings regarding the placement of their grandson." The Landers then allegedly took the then five year old boy and left from their home in the Wolcottville area to an unknown destination.

The grandparents were facing charges related to interference with custody, but in September 2008, with neither the child nor his grandparents ever having been located, the LaGrange County Prosecutor's Office filed a letter with the Court and the charges were dropped.

Investigative work continued in the following years and a few months ago, in September 2012, the boy's step-father, Richard Harter contacted authorities and provided them with the young Richard's Social Security card.

The number was then tracked down to a man in Minnesota with the same date of birth and appeared to bear a potentially similar resemblance as to how the missing boy might look today.

It was soon determined that the grandparents, who are living in Browerville, Minnesota under different aliases, made statements indicating their true identities and verified that the young man that was found was indeed Richard Wayne Landers, Jr., who is now 24 years of age.

It was not disclosed whether the grandparents would be facing possible charges.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2013-01-13

[Sing_Sling]

No charges? Amazing

[johnnynmonic]

I think perhaps the statute of limitations has run out. Anyhow, there is likely more (ok, ALWAYS more) to the the story - the young man is of age now, if he'd been interested he could have reconnected with his mother. Based upon the pretty sparse details, I'm guessing the grandparents may have snatched him out of a very bad situation. Not defending their very wrong actions, but something just seems fishy.

[Sing_Sling]

I think (this means I just googled it ) there is no statute of limitations on kidnapping if the child was under the age of 18.

I understand the 'end justifying the means' argument, but can't agree with it . . . it seems too much like the argument used for African-Americans that they should be lucky as their lives would have been worse had they not been enslaved.

As for why the man didn't search for his parents . . . you are probably right . . . and there's much more to this story.

[BookMan]

More information on the story here:

http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2013/01/was-richard-wayne-landers-really-abducted-story-of-man-missing-19-years-takes-bizarre-twists/

The couple found themselves homeless and wound up living in a stranger’s station wagon until a welfare worker placed them in a welfare mission, Landers Sr. told the newspaper. While there, Landers Sr. said he signed court papers that gave his parents one year of temporary guardianship of his son. He now regrets the move.

But Landers Sr. said that he was NOT an absentee father and visited his young son numerous times but after he refused his father’s request to sign adoption papers giving up all his parental rights, his parents disappeared with the child

.

[Sing_Sling]

Sad, whichever way you slice or dice it

[Kananga]

I think perhaps the statute of limitations has run out. Anyhow, there is likely more (ok, ALWAYS more) to the the story - the young man is of age now, if he'd been interested he could have reconnected with his mother. Based upon the pretty sparse details, I'm guessing the grandparents may have snatched him out of a very bad situation. Not defending their very wrong actions, but something just seems fishy.

Statute of limitations??? On kidnapping???

[maturebrit]

I think (this means I just googled it ) there is no statute of limitations on kidnapping if the child was under the age of 18.

I understand the 'end justifying the means' argument, but can't agree with it . . . it seems too much like the argument used for African-Americans that they should be lucky as their lives would have been worse had they not been enslaved.

As for why the man didn't search for his parents . . . you are probably right . . . and there's much more to this story.

correct.... I read that there is no statute of limitations on Kidnapping... Maybe some states have a different viewpoint

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Kananga]

I think (this means I just googled it ) there is no statute of limitations on kidnapping if the child was under the age of 18.

I understand the 'end justifying the means' argument, but can't agree with it . . . it seems too much like the argument used for African-Americans that they should be lucky as their lives would have been worse had they not been enslaved.

As for why the man didn't search for his parents . . . you are probably right . . . and there's much more to this story.

You mean their lives would have been worse has their ancestors not been enslaved?

[Scott]

Off-topic posts and replies deleted.