MARION COUNTY, Fla. — A tip from Crime Stoppers in Marion County resulted in the arrest of Debra Newton, solving a missing child case from 1983.
Debra Newton was captured in The Villages, Florida, while walking her dog, after being recognized as the woman who vanished with her daughter Michelle over forty years earlier. She faces custodial interference charges for allegedly fleeing to Louisville, Kentucky, with her 3-year-old daughter at the time.
Michelle Newton, now 46, was unaware she was a victim of a crime until authorities contacted her. Earlier this year, Debra Newton was seen in Marion County using the alias ‘Sharon.’
A U.S. Marshal task force verified her identity by comparing a recent photo with one from 1983.
Court records from Kentucky show that Debra Newton has pleaded not guilty and is set to appear in court on January 23.
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