A North Carolina woman is behind bars after police allege she made up a phony kidnapping story after throwing her baby down a 75-foot-ravine on Thursday.
Citizen Times reports that 35-year-old Krista Noelle Madden contacted police on Thursday afternoon at around 4 p.m., and claimed her 7-week-old little girl, Shaylie, had been abducted in Biltmore Park by a man and woman wearing ski masks.
Madden reportedly told police that the abductors, driving a 2014 Mazda CX-5, kidnapped her and Shaylie together. Madden said she managed to escape but couldn’t get to her daughter in time.
Deputies later found the vehicle abandoned off of Rhodes Mountain Road and immediately sent a K-9 unit out to track scents. Deputies later announced they found no proof that anyone had been in the area or around the abandoned car.
On Thursday evening, Henderson County resident Courtney Fowler was checking her mail near Slick Rock Road, when her mother heard cries coming from nearby. Fowler told her dad and as the pair investigated the area, they found an infant at the bottom of a ravine. A car seat was closeby. The woman contacted authorities and during a 911 call, said she found a “bruised” baby screaming.
“I couldn’t see the baby but I saw the car seat. He went down over the bank and got the car seat and the baby, and he brought it up the bank to me, then I held it and then my mom held it. That was probably for 30 minutes before EMS arrived,” Fowler told FOX Carolina.
Fowler said she saw a grey car in the area earlier, but only caught a glimpse of it through the dust it stirred up while driving away.
“My dog started barking, which usually means a car is coming up the driveway. When I looked out over into the porch, I saw dust and the glimpse of a grey car. When I got up to walk back to the back of the house, there was nobody here. But I do remember seeing some kind of vehicle come up our driveway.”
Authorities confirmed that the baby found was indeed the same baby reported missing, according to FOX Carolina.
“When the child was discovered, the child was out of the car seat,” Henderson County Sheriff Lowell Griffin said during a Friday morning press conference. “However, the indications lead us to believe that the child went over the bank in the car seat after it hit the ground.”
Shaylie was safely located in Henderson County. The incident is under further investigation at this time. We appreciate the assistance of the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the public and the media for assisting us in getting his information out quickly.
— Asheville Police (@AshevillePolice) May 10, 2019
When authorities interviewed Madden afterward, she reportedly provided enough information that convinced them she was likely responsible for the incident. They arrested her and charged with second-degree attempted murder. Detectives later spoke with Madden’s husband, but as of now, he is not considered a suspect. Authorities think Madden acted alone in the incident.
The baby, according to police, is expected to survive. Griffin said that the baby is “in very good condition” after hospital treatment.
“It’s by the grace of God that we’re standing here with a child that’s been discovered and is alive,” Griffin said.
Madden is behind bars at the Henderson County Jail on a $750,000 bond.
The story continues to develop. Check back with CrimeOnline as additional details become available.
[Feature Photo: Shaylie/Police Handout]
