One of the most important decisions a parent can make is who they will entrust to babysit their child. With all of the intention you put into raising loved and well-rounded children, it’s important that people outside of the home model those same principles and don’t undo all of the work you’ve begun. When parents think about the risks associated with child care, it may be that a caregiver sleeps on the job, loses their temper, or takes advantage of the power dynamic between children and adults — rarely do we consider that the person might give us our child back. But for a family in South Dakota, this became a reality when they asked a friend to babysit their son.
Chosen Butler’s parents left him with 38-year-old Betty Cross, a woman they considered to be a close friend, KXRB reports. But when it was time for the 7-month-old to go back to his parents, Cross refused to relinquish custody. As a result, police issued an arrest warrant for Cross and declared Butler missing on February 27, 2025, according to the Daily Mail. The arrest warrant carried a $100,000 bond. While police were trying to find Cross, they did state that they believed Butler was safe.
On March 5, KXRB provided an update on the story. Authorities found Butler and Cross in Detroit, Michigan, 12 hours away from his home in Sioux Falls. According to a statement from the Sioux Falls Police Department, Butler, who appeared unharmed, will be returned to his parents. Police took Cross into custody in Michigan, and will extradite her to South Dakota. She faces a charge of first degree kidnapping.
At the time of her arrest, Cross was with another woman, Taylor Edwards. Police identified her as an accomplice and arrested her too, KELO reports. Sam Clemens, a spokesperson for the Sioux Falls Police Department said authorities believe Edwards, 20, helped Cross bring the child across state lines. Police charged Edwards, who is also from Sioux Falls, with first-degree kidnapping.
Police were able to locate the two women after law enforcement from the Minnehaha County Fugitive Task Force began gathering information, Mitchell Republic reports. They eventually contacted the Detroit Police Department with an address for them to check. Cross and Edwards were there with the baby.
“Really what this was, was just good police work,” Clemens said. First-degree kidnapping is a Class C felony and carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
