Yahoo Associated Content
Remember Michelle McMullen, the Harrisburg, Pa., mother who dropped off her young son to a friend in Pa., before disappearing? Well, she was found, safe and sound in Oakland, California in January 2011.
For those of you not familiar with the story, it was featured on the Investigation Discovery show, "Disappeared."
~~~Watch Michelle's episode, "The Long Drive Home."~~~
McMullen was attending college at Grambling University when she drove to her hometown of Harrisburg, Pa., in September 2008 to leave her son, Jayden with a friend. Before leaving her friend's home, McMullen instructed the woman to wait a few days before turning the little boy over to her parents, Rev. Lillie and Michael McMullen.
A week after she left, McMullen's vehicle was found abandoned alongside a road near a Mac-Truck Plant in Hagerstown, Maryland. Police found McMullen's wallet and other personal belongings inside the vehicle, but there was no sign of the 27-year-old mother. Her parents filed a missing persons report and police launched an investigation.
Sometime later, a friend spotted McMullen working as a desk clerk at a West Virginia motel, but she disappeared before detectives arrived to question her. As the police investigation progressed, detectives learn that the Pa., woman was a suspect in a theft at her former place of employment, Progress Immanuel Presbyterian Church . McMullen worked there as a secretary before leaving to attend Grambling State University.
What originally began as a missing person case, with McMullen's parents initially believing that their daughter may have been abducted or fell ill due to severe migraines she suffered with, turned into a hunt for a fugitive from the law.
With one law enforcement agency working a missing persons case, another in Susquehanna Township announced that McMullen, in fact, fled to avoid prosecution in a case that began prior to her leaving for Louisiana. McMullen, police said, stole more than $12,000 from the Church before she was fired. Police issued a warrant for McMullen's arrest eleven days after she went missing.
McMullen remained missing until January 2011 when someone recognized her from the "Disappeared" episode and tipped off the Oakland, California Police Department's Fugitive Task Force. She was found working at a local beauty supply store. Within months, the former college student was extradited back East to face criminal charges stemming from the theft of funds from Progress Immanuel Presbyterian Church.
Today, McMullen is picking up the pieces of her life after spending seven months in jail awaiting prosecution on the criminal charges she fled from in 2008. She told reporters that she endured "some hard times" during her disappearance.
"I was homeless for a while, went through a lot of things during that time," said McMullen. "I almost died a couple times. Raped, stabbed..."
According to abc27 News, McMullen, now 30, pleaded guilty to charges of theft and forgery and was sentenced to five years probation. The young mother issued an apology to those who searched for her as well as the Church she was accused of stealing from saying, "I want people to know that everybody makes mistakes. There is nobody who is perfect, and yes, I made a mistake," said McMullen. "I faced what I needed to face and I want to get on with my life."
McMullen admitted that she stole from her employer, but denies stealing the amount prosecutors allege and added that she would take a polygraph, which would prove that she only stole $2,500.00.
"I'm going to tell the truth and it will show that what they are accusing me of is not valid, because I know what I did do and I'm going to be honest and tell the truth about everything," McMullen said.
McMullen's son, Jayden, was cared for by her parents in her absence.
Hopefully, this young lady will be able to get on with her life and work toward re-building a bond with her son. It was not clear if McMullen would return to her college studies, but I hope she does. She made a terrible mistake and compounded that mistake by running away, but she shouldn't spend the rest of her life paying for that poor choice.
Best of luck to you, Michelle and Jayden.
Contact reporter Alicia Cruz at nj.newsroom.cruz@gmail.com
This young woman rally put her parents through hell. I wouldn't trust anything she says. She must be cold and calculating to pull of this scam. Still, she's done her time, and I too wish her success.
ReplyDeleteShe better pray hard for Jesus' forgiveness. She did a lot of people wrong.
ReplyDeleteMichelle, you better pray HARD for forgiveness! You did a lot of people wrong and I don't feel sorry for any hardship you experienced while you were on the run. What do you think your son and parents went through. And you are still continuing to downplay and justify your actions. I hope you can finally take responsibility for the wrong you did and decide to rectify all your wrongs.
ReplyDelete