logo
Funny Animals Interesting Freaky Pop Culture

Missing Girl From 2019, Thankfully Found Alive And Well Under Staircase

by Stephanie

When little Paislee Shultis went missing in July 2019, police initially suspected her non-custodial parents, Kimberly Cooper and Kirk Shultis Jr, as her abductors. However, the police brought no charges, and Paislee would not be found for another two and a half years.

Paislee was just four-years-old when she disappeared from her home in Tioga County, NY. After receiving a tip-off that the girl was being hidden in a Saugerties, Hudson Valley house, police obtained a warrant to search the home belonging to Paislee's paternal grandfather.

"A little over an hour into the search of the residence, the child was located secreted in a makeshift room, under a closed staircase leading to the basement of the residence," Saugerties Police Chief Joseph Sinagra said. Police found both Paislee and her custodial mother Kimberley "hiding in the dark and wet enclosure once officers removed the step boards."

Paislee, now six-and-a-half, was taken to the hospital to be examined and was deemed to be in good health. There was no evidence of abuse, and she was later released and reunited with her older sister.

"We believe that somebody informed the parents that the older child had been picked up by the legal guardian and by county officials at the time and that caused the parents then to take Paislee and flee," police said in an official statement. "We are pretty certain that she probably wasn't receiving proper medical attention."

Police located the little girl in a makeshift room under a closed staircase leading to the basement of her grandfather's home.

Police located the little girl in a makeshift room under a closed staircase leading to the basement of her grandfather's home.Saugerties Police

Paislee, now six-and-a-half, was deemed to be in good health. There was no evidence of abuse, and she was later released and reunited with her older sister.

Paislee, now six-and-a-half, was deemed to be in good health. There was no evidence of abuse, and she was later released and reunited with her older sister.The Teal Mango

Sadly, Paislee has missed out on her first years of schooling. "During our initial interview, unfortunately, we found that she does not read or write," police said.

"She was not getting educated at home, so there is no homeschooling in place at all, and that's a disadvantage," they said. "This is the sad part of the story."

"She's missed out on that part of the life of going to school, and now hopefully she'll have an opportunity to do that," the statement added. The reasons for Paislee's family losing custody of her are unknown.

Paislee and her custodial mother Kimberley were found "hiding in the dark and wet enclosure once officers removed the step boards."

Paislee and her custodial mother Kimberley were found Saugerties Police

Kimberly Cooper and Kirk Shultis Jr. faced a judge for charges pertaining to her abduction. Paislee's grandfather also appeared in court, and restraining orders were passed by the judge.

"We're not here to hurt them," said Saugerties Police Chief Joseph Sinagra. "If they had complied with that court order two years ago, depending on what the deficiency was within the household that caused a judge to remove those children, there's a good possibility that they could've taken corrective action."

"And today, they would have full custody of those kids. Now, I don't know again what that deficiency was, so that may or may not be the case."

Kimberly Cooper and Kirk Shultis Jr. faced a judge for charges pertaining to her abduction. Paislee's grandfather also appeared in court, and restraining orders were passed by the judge.The Teal Mango

Paislee's custodial parents had been hiding her in a house belonging to her paternal grandfather.

Paislee's custodial parents had been hiding her in a house belonging to her paternal grandfather.The Teal Mango

Cooper was arrested on charges including endangering the welfare of a child and custodial interference. Shultis Jr and his father were each charged with felony custodial interference and misdemeanor child endangerment.

"I am hoping that sometime in [the] future that the family has learned from this," said Sinagra. "And that with proper services put in place by county social services, by the Ulster County Family Child Advocacy Center, and by CPS, that eventually the family will gain the right to actually get the custody of the kids, which is ultimately what we're looking for."

Police say the investigation is ongoing, and additional arrests are still pending. Paislee has since been reunited with her grandmother and teenage sister.

Share this article:

Facebook icon Pinterest icon Tumblr icon Link icon Twitter icon

Related Articles

Doctor Reveals Surprising Hack To Banish Those Pesky Hiccups

Doctor Reveals Surprising Hack To Banish Those Pesky Hiccups

Jennifer Lopez Files For Divorce From Ben Affleck

Jennifer Lopez Files For Divorce From Ben Affleck

Billie Eilish Loses 100,000 Instagram Followers After Posting Single Photo

Billie Eilish Loses 100,000 Instagram Followers After Posting Single Photo

Child Baker From Texas Impresses All, Secures Top Prize At State Fair

Child Baker From Texas Impresses All, Secures Top Prize At State Fair

High-Tech Hiking Pants That Promise Effortless Outdoor Adventures

High-Tech Hiking Pants That Promise Effortless Outdoor Adventures

Billions Of Crabs Disappear In Alaska—Scientists Reveal The Reasons And What’s Next

Billions Of Crabs Disappear In Alaska—Scientists Reveal The Reasons And What’s Next

“Clueless” Star Alicia Silverstone Bites Into Potentially Toxic Fruit—Leaving Everyone Scrambling With Concern

“Clueless” Star Alicia Silverstone Bites Into Potentially Toxic Fruit—Leaving Everyone Scrambling With Concern

Starbucks’ New CEO Opts For 1,000-Mile-Commute Over Relocating For Work

Starbucks’ New CEO Opts For 1,000-Mile-Commute Over Relocating For Work

Government Officials Close Boy's Charity Ice Cream Stand

Government Officials Close Boy's Charity Ice Cream Stand

This Car Has Just Been Named Electric Vehicle Of The Year

This Car Has Just Been Named Electric Vehicle Of The Year

High School Principal Suspended Indefinitely After Video Of Inappropriate Dance With School Mascot Goes Viral

High School Principal Suspended Indefinitely After Video Of Inappropriate Dance With School Mascot Goes Viral

Levi’s CEO Finally Ends The Great ‘To Wash Jeans Or Not’ Debate, And Here’s All You Need to Know

Levi’s CEO Finally Ends The Great ‘To Wash Jeans Or Not’ Debate, And Here’s All You Need to Know

Zac Efron’s Performance In Tragic Movie About True Story Leaves Viewers Gutted And Wanting To Throw Up

Zac Efron’s Performance In Tragic Movie About True Story Leaves Viewers Gutted And Wanting To Throw Up

Tom Cruise Seals His Spot As Hollywood Dad Of The Year With £50k Gift To Teenage Daughter Despite Years Of Estrangement

Tom Cruise Seals His Spot As Hollywood Dad Of The Year With £50k Gift To Teenage Daughter Despite Years Of Estrangement

Hailey And Justin Bieber Announce The Birth Of Their First Child In Adorable Instagram Post

Hailey And Justin Bieber Announce The Birth Of Their First Child In Adorable Instagram Post

London PR Specialist Reveals Her Secrets To Visiting 28 Countries On A Shoestring Budget While Holding Down A Full-Time Job

London PR Specialist Reveals Her Secrets To Visiting 28 Countries On A Shoestring Budget While Holding Down A Full-Time Job

Stuart Little’s Human Sidekick, Jonathan Lipnicki, Is Now All Grown Up And Throwing Serious Punches In The MMA

Stuart Little’s Human Sidekick, Jonathan Lipnicki, Is Now All Grown Up And Throwing Serious Punches In The MMA

The Bold Move That Cost Warren Buffett's Son $400 Million, And Why He Has No Regrets

The Bold Move That Cost Warren Buffett's Son $400 Million, And Why He Has No Regrets

Drew Barrymore Promises To Keep Her Distance—But Not Her Charm—As Talk Show Gets Renewed

Drew Barrymore Promises To Keep Her Distance—But Not Her Charm—As Talk Show Gets Renewed

Insiders Reveal Oasis Reunion Is On The Horizon As Gallagher Brothers End Their Decade-Long Feud To Headline Glastonbury Festival

Insiders Reveal Oasis Reunion Is On The Horizon As Gallagher Brothers End Their Decade-Long Feud To Headline Glastonbury Festival

Five Iconic Roles You Wouldn’t Believe Tom Cruise Walked Away From

Five Iconic Roles You Wouldn’t Believe Tom Cruise Walked Away From

How One Viral TikTok Trend Led To A Cucumber Shortage Across An Entire Country

How One Viral TikTok Trend Led To A Cucumber Shortage Across An Entire Country

14 Actors Whose Careers Crashed And Burned After These Awful Roles

14 Actors Whose Careers Crashed And Burned After These Awful Roles

Astronaut Shuts Down Flat Earth Theory For Good With Epic Live Footage From Space

Astronaut Shuts Down Flat Earth Theory For Good With Epic Live Footage From Space

21 Times People Found The Most Unbelievable Notes On Their Windshields

21 Times People Found The Most Unbelievable Notes On Their Windshields

Australian Influencer Slams Paris Nightclub After Blacking Out And Waking Up To A $5,000 Charge She Never Authorized

Australian Influencer Slams Paris Nightclub After Blacking Out And Waking Up To A $5,000 Charge She Never Authorized

Categories

Funny Animals Interesting Freaky Pop Culture

Business

About Us Advertise Contact Us

Legal

Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy DMCA Removal
 Logo
About Us Privacy DMCA Removal Contact Us Terms Funny Animals Interesting Freaky Pop Culture

© 2025 - All Rights Reserved

 logo

Sign In to

facebook icon Sign in with facebook
facebook icon Sign in with google

Or sign in with email

Need an account? Sign Up

Forgot Password?

By creating an account, you agree to the Terms of Service

 logo

Sign Up to

Already have an account? Sign In

By creating an account, you agree to the Terms of Service

Edit profile

User Photo