Kristi Nicole Gilley, from Missouri, has pleaded not guilty to allegedly kidnapping her two children. Gilley was found with the missing children in Florida almost a year after she abducted them.
On April 14, 2022, Kristi Nicole Gilley, 36, reportedly skipped a court appearance over a custody dispute with her former husband Blake Gilley. The pair previously had a joint custody agreement from Randall County, Texas. However, after Kristi failed to appear in court, Blake was granted sole custody of their two children.According to Sorace, Clay County, Missouri claims that Kristi abducted their two children Brooke, 11, and Adrian, 12. Due to a probable cause, Kristi was accused of parental kidnapping after leaving with the children. Since March 15, 2022, Kristi has made it difficult for Blake to visit or even speak to the children.
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Children Finally Found
According to Da Silva, on February 1, Kristi and the children were found shopping at a Winn-Dixie store in Florida. The police officers in High Springs were performing a routine tag inspection of Kristi’s vehicle when they discovered she was a fugitive. Police said Kristi and the children were crossing the area but had no residency connection to Alachua County. The children were not even enrolled in any school. Kristi and the children were reportedly disguising their identities at that time.
Eventually, Kristi was arrested on an active kidnapping warrant from Clay County, Missouri. However, Maurice McDaniel, Kristi’s attorney, has submitted a written plea filed with the Alachua County Clerk. According to the plea, Kristi was not guilty to all charges. Nonetheless, Kristi is still being held in Alachua County Jail without bail. Kristi is also expected to be handed back to Missouri. The children, on the other hand, were handed over to the Florida Department of Children and Families Services and will be brought back to their biological family thereafter.
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