Kentucky woman abducted as a child reunited with father after 40 years

A Kentucky father who spent more than 40 years searching for his missing daughter has finally been reunited with her, after she was found living under a different identity, unaware she had ever been abducted.

Michelle Marie Newton was just three years old when her mother, Debra Newton, took her in 1983 and disappeared. Her father, Joe Newton, never stopped believing she was alive. “She’s always been in our heart,” he said.

According to The Guardian, Debra told family she was moving to Georgia for a new job, but between 1984 and 1985, both mother and child vanished without trace.

The case remained unsolved for decades until earlier this year, when the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office released an age-progressed image of Debra. The picture led to a Crime Stoppers tip from Marion County, Florida, where someone recognised a woman living under a different name.

DNA tests later confirmed a 99.99 per cent match between Debra and her sister.

Two weeks ago, Michelle returned home from work to find police at her door. “You’re a missing person. You’re Michelle Marie Newton,” officers told her.

Now 45, Michelle said she had no idea she had been abducted. The reunion with her father followed soon after. “I wouldn’t trade that moment for anything,” Joe said.

Authorities have confirmed Michelle is no longer listed as missing, bringing a four-decade search to an emotional end.