AMBER ALERT Baby Kidnapped from Franklin County (Mo) Home-UPDATE: BABY FOUND ALIVE

St. Louis Post Dispatch ^ | 9/15/06 | Heather Ratcliffe

[Clintons Are White Trash]

A 7-day-old baby was kidnapped in Franklin County this afternoon by a woman with a gun who forced her way into the infant's home in Lonedell and cut the mother's throat, police said. The child remained missing and the mother was reported to be in stable condition in a St. Louis hospital.

The victim said she did not know her assailant, said Franklin County sheriff's Capt. Don Jones.

UPDATE:

(KSDK)

BREAKING NEWS: Family Says Abby Woods Found Alive, Woman Arrested

- The family of Abigale Lynn "Abby" Woods said she has been found safe and a woman has been arrested in connection with her disappearance.

Tuesday marked day five of the search for the missing Lonedell baby. Eleven-day-old Abby was abducted last Friday from her mother's home in a heavily wooded area just south of Highway 30.

Investigators once again searched the home for evidence, and road blocks were set up along several roads leading to the home in order to protect the integrity of the investigation.

Divers from the Missouri Water Patrol searched a manmade lake near the home. FBI Special Agent in Charge Roland Corvington said investigators were interested in searching two other nearby bodies of water.

Franklin County Sheriff Gary Toelke said the searches were not prompted by any new information, but were simply a continuation of the investigation.

Toelke also said the baby's father James Woods took and passed a polygraph exam. He said Abby's mother Stephanie Oschenbine, 21, will undergo a test once she recovers from injuries she sustained during the kidnapping.

Tolke said there is no evidence that the parents staged her abduction or were involved in the crime.

Stephanie told investigators a woman entered the home, cut her neck and took Abby. Stephanie is recovering from her injuries at a relative's home.

Investigators said they've received more than 500 tips from several states relating to Abby's abduction. Corvington said the many of the tips have come from people who saw the composite sketch released Monday.

"The phones have been ringing off the wall, which is good. We've been getting a lot of good tips, so that's really been beneficial to us," said Toelke on Monday night.

Stephanie worked with investigators for days creating a composite sketch of the woman she said took her baby.

"It got to the point of where she felt she couldn't improve on it any more," said Franklin County Sheriff Gary Toelke.

It's not perfect, said Stephanie, but it does give a better idea of what the suspect looks like.

The abductor is described as a Caucasian female in her late thirties or early forties. She is between 5 feet 4 inches and 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs about 200 lbs. Investigators said the abductor may have a cut on her leg, sustained during a struggle with Stephanie.

Investigators also released a photograph of a fringed, black winter scarf they hope someone will recognize. The Missouri National Guard found it along with a knife Saturday near the family's home.

"In the description given by the mother, she described the unknown subject as having a scarf around (her) neck," said Corvington.

"We feel it's pretty significant and we'd like for the public to take a look and see if anybody recognizes it," said Toelke.

The family said they've never seen the scarf or the woman before.

"My daughter did not know (the abductor). As far as her knowing my daughter, she could have done anything," said Stephanie's mother, Raylene Ochsenbine.

With each passing day, they're becoming more frantic and more fearful that Abby won't be found. Authorities said the suspect may have targeted the home because of a sign in the lawn announcing Abby's arrival.

"We're getting concerned about her long Abby's been gone. It's really become a major concern," said Abby's grandfather and Stephanie's father Kenny Ochsenbine.

This past weekend, Abby's pediatrician, Dr. Andy Zupan, said it is important for her to be seen in his office. She was discharged from the hospital over a week ago, and due for a follow-up appointment a few days later.

Zupan said Abby is dependent on breast milk, and any time a baby's nutritional source is changed, there can be concern.

Abby is Caucasian with black hair and blue eyes, 19 inches long and weighs six lbs. When Abby was taken, she was wearing a pink dress with a flowered collar. She also has a birth mark between her eyes.

Investigators have sent the scarf and the knife to the St. Louis County Crime Lab for testing. Investigators are awaiting the results of those tests.

At the time of the abduction, the woman was wearing a baseball cap with a worn bill, with dark hair tucked under the hat along with a grey or brown T-shirt and denim shorts.

"We don't have ill will... we just want her to come home... just give her back," said the baby's grandmother Raylene Ochsenbine. She added the whole family is torn apart.

The family of Shawn Hornbeck is also aiding in the search for Abby. Shawn, who was 11 at the time, disappeared nearly four years ago while riding his bicycle near his home in Richwoods.

Shawn's father Craig Akers started The Shawn Hornbeck Foundation to help other missing kids and their families. The group has been distributing flyers containing Abby's picture.

Ironically, one of Abby's relatives used to babysit Shawn.

[stlnative]

I am sure that the national media will play the LE's press conference which explains how all of this went down and how the sister-in-law noticed the birthmark on the baby's head. It almost sounds like the suspects husband may have know that the baby was not his wife's. But so far they are not saying anything about the husband.

[LA Woman3]

So Shannon Beck (suspect) must have been pretty far along in her pregnancy to try and pass off a newborn baby as her own. Glad family members were alert to the situation and noticed the makeup covering the birthmark.

[stlnative]

Correction:

known that the baby was not his and his wife's.

[stlnative]

I believe so... the sister-in-law that turned her in had also just had a baby.

[stlnative]

On Sunday, Beck contacted Torrez to say she had given birth, Corvington said. Beck had been pregnant but apparently miscarried shortly before her own child was to be born.

Torrez visited Beck on Monday and urged her to take the child to a doctor, the FBI agent said. Beck agreed, and Torrez accompanied her to St. Louis on Tuesday, about 45 miles away.

Torrez noticed what appeared to be makeup on the baby's forehead, Corvington said. When she rubbed the forehead, makeup came off what was covering a small birthmark.

In publicizing the abduction, police had described Abby's strawberry-red birthmark. Her suspicions aroused, Torrez confronted Beck, who gave her the baby, Corvington said.

Torrez contacted police, and the baby was handed over to authorities around 5 p.m. Tuesday.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=nation_world&id=4579351

[ohioWfan]

Praising the LORD!!

[LA Woman3]

Thanks for the update. Glad there was a happy ending!

[stlnative]

This one is written more to match what LE is reporting locally.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/09/19/baby.missing/

Beck called her sister-in-law, Dorothy Torrez, Sunday to say she had given birth, and Torrez visited Beck Monday and Tuesday, Corvington said.

While accompanying her to a doctor's appointment Tuesday, Torrez noticed makeup on the baby's forehead, the special agent said. Police reports had indicated the baby had a birthmark on her forehead.

While Beck was inside the doctor's office, Torrez rubbed Abigale's forehead with her cap and the makeup came off, revealing a birthmark, Corvington said. Torrez called her own husband and Beck's husband before confronting Beck.

When the pair got home, there was an argument over the child, and Beck's husband gave the baby to Torrez and told her to take the infant to police. She did so about 5 p.m. Tuesday, Corvington said.

[Rte66]

Thanks for the ping and the pic. I was looking at the exact photo on TV when I pulled this up!

They will all be on the Today Show tomorrow morning.

[stlnative]

I am listening to local news. The sheriff was at the parents home when he first got the phone call. At first he was told the baby was dead and within a minute while he was on the phone they said no she is alive. The sheriff told Abby's parents that they may have found Abby (he told them that they found a live baby) and for them to stay put and he would be right back. He got in his patrol car and drove straight down Hwy 47 for about 4 miles and pulled into a home off Hwy 47. An ambulance took the baby to the hospital and the sheriff went back to the parents home just 4 miles away down Hwy 47 to tell them that it was Abby and let go meet her at the hospital! - So off they went with the sheriff to the hospital.

[stlnative]

from what I wrote in 130 it sounds to me that suspect miscarried at home and that was the dead baby they found first. I could be that woman never sought medical care for the miscarriage.

[stlnative]

this would explain why the suspect was not in the hospital on Friday after having a late term miscarriage on Friday. (Abby was kidnapped at 12:30pm on Friday) I wonder how she was able to pull all this off at home and hide the miscarried baby's body. I wonder if her husband help her.

[Rte66]

Wow - I know they are all soooo happy. Looking forward to hearing them in the morning.

[DollyCali]

Good news BUMP..thanks for the thread CAWT

[2Jedismom]

Whew! Coulda been touch and go, that! I think if I'd had suspicions, I would have simply gone somewhere private and called the authorities, not confronted anyone personally. They could've run, you know?

I'm so glad this turned out well!

[Mrs. Darla Ruth Schwerin]

So glad the baby's safe and back with her mother. Must be a pretty big case for the FBI, National Guard, and the police to be involved. Must be some kind of baby-farming ring...

Prayers and blessings to mom and baby...

[Lexinom]

My wife has family in Franklin County, MO.