Just days ago, a little girl who had not been seen in over two years was found in a New York home. Paislee Shultis, now 6, was found in the home of her biological grandfather's house, in a hiding spot underneath the stairs.
Three people were arrested in the unusual case — Paislee's biological mother, father, and grandfather. All three pleaded not guilty to child endangerment and custodial interference charges this week.
Kimberly Cooper Shultis, Kirk Shultis Jr., and Kirk Shultis Sr. were all taken into custody on Monday after authorities found Paislee. Her parents lost custody of her back in 2019 and allegedly abducted her.
Police discovered Paislee after multiple visits to the same home. They eventually received a tip that enabled them to get a search warrant, giving them full access to the house. Paislee was found when a police officer noticed something strange about the basement stairs and examined them more closely.
He saw what appeared to be a blanket behind the wood panels and began removing the steps one by one. That's when he saw Paislee's tiny feet. She was hiding in the space, which officers said was small and damp, with her mother.
Paislee's mother was charged with custodial interference in the second degree and endangering the welfare of a child, both misdemeanors. The child's father and grandfather were both charged with felony custodial interference in the first degree and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child.
Kimberly Cooper Shultis is scheduled to return to court on March 2, and Kirk Shultis Jr. and his father will return in April.
It's unclear why Paislee was taken from her biological family in the first place. But authorities said that if her parents had taken the steps they needed to in order to correct the issues in the home, it's not unlikely they would've gotten custody back. Now they're facing serious charges in her abduction.
