Police arrest mother of young girl at center of complicated Utah kidnaping case

Pat Reavy, KSL.com

VERNAL, Utah (KSL.com) — The biologic mother of a young woman who has nary custodial authorities to her girl has been arrested and accused of being portion of a kidnapping crippled that has already resulted successful nan arrests of 4 people.

Lindsey Colleen Morrell, 31, was arrested Tuesday for investigation of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated burglary, obstruction of justice, impersonating an officer, forgery and emergency reporting abuse. She was booked into nan Utah County Jail wherever she is being held connected behalf of Uintah County investigators.

On May 15, Beth Marilyn Schardine, 32, Ty Lucero Whetten, 36, and Kaitlyn Anne Bachman, 24, traveled from Utah County to Vernal pinch nan volition of taking a 3-year-old woman from nan child’s biologic begetter and past taking that woman “to nan child’s biologic mother successful different city,” according to charging documents.

After going to respective locations successful Vernal looking for nan child, constabulary opportunity Whetten and Bachman entered nan father’s location without permission.

“The victim’s woman called 911 to study that Ty and Kaitlyn were wrong of her residence threatening to return nan child. It was reported that Ty was successful possession of a handgun. The unfortunate was besides wrong nan residence and confronted Ty and Kaitlyn pinch a handgun,” according to a constabulary booking affidavit.

When Whetten and Bachman attempted to exit nan residence, they were confronted by constabulary officers who had arrived connected scene.

“The 2 constabulary officers … ordered Ty to driblet nan gun. Ty pointed his handgun toward nan officers and retreated into nan residence. As Ty and Kaitlyn retreated into nan residence, nan (father) fired a azygous changeable from his handgun into nan wall successful nan stairwell,” nan affidavit states.

The begetter is simply a corrections serviceman astatine nan Uintah County Jail. No injuries were reported. Both Whetten and Bachman were arrested, arsenic was Schardine who was sitting successful a conveyance nearby.

“Interviews pinch each 3 suspects besides elicited accusation that nan 3 of them had been readying to recreation to Vernal and kidnap nan kid for a mates of weeks,” according to nan affidavit. When asked by constabulary if they would grant nan court’s determination granting nan begetter afloat custody, “they would not springiness a consecutive reply and indicated they had a propensity to want to region nan kid from nan father.”

As Whetten was being booked into jail, constabulary recovered a “very unique notepad paper. The insubstantial was multi-colored and had a ample A connected nan apical of it. Written connected nan notes were instructions of who Ty was going to declare to beryllium (an serviceman pinch Child Protective Services), and instructions connected really to successfully kidnap nan child. The notes moreover elaborate circumstantial connection to usage while attempting to kidnap nan child,” nan affidavit alleges.

Police learned that nan begetter was awarded afloat custody of his girl connected Aug. 7, 2023. But he was incapable to find her until Jan. 10 erstwhile officers went to nan location of 52-year-old Amanda Kaye Bachman successful Goshen, Utah County, wherever nan kid was being held.

After nan May 15 incident successful Vernal, constabulary opportunity Bachman “posted galore videos” connected societal media discussing nan incident. A video posted connected June 7 “depicts Amanda being interviewed by an chartless personification and is 36 minutes and 55 seconds long. The accusation successful nan video is important because Amanda admits that she was portion of nan readying process to spell to Vernal and kidnap nan child,” according to nan affidavit.

Bachman allegedly claimed nan 3 arrested were only going to service ineligible papers to petition mediation. But constabulary opportunity “the declare of serving paperwork to nan unfortunate is important for nan truth that connected nan nighttime of nan incident successful Vernal nan only ineligible archive recovered successful nan suspect’s possession was fraudulent. The tribunal archive had misspelled words, a judge’s signature that does not exist, showed nan petitioner was nan victim, and identified nan serviceman arsenic … nan aforesaid sanction connected nan notes to Ty,” nan affidavit states.

At nan clip each of this was happening, Bachman and Schardine were already facing charges of harassing nan politician of nan municipality of Goshen, successful portion by falsely claiming connected societal media he is progressive successful kid quality trafficking. When Bachman showed up to tribunal for a scheduled proceeding successful that lawsuit connected Aug. 22, she was arrested successful relationship pinch nan Vernal kidnapping attempt.

When she was taken into custody, constabulary recovered successful her purse a notepad that “was a cleanable lucifer to nan notepad insubstantial recovered connected Ty nan nighttime he was arrested,” nan affidavit states. Bachman’s cellphone was besides searched and investigators reported uncovering grounds indicating that Morrell was besides progressive successful nan readying of nan attempted kidnapping that occurred connected May 15.

“The messages are important because it shows that Lindsey did successful truth cognize that her ex-husband had ineligible custody of their daughter. It besides shows that Lindsey and Amanda had been readying and executing plans to find nan kid months earlier nan incident,” nan affidavit says.

Morrell is accused of calling respective rule enforcement agencies successful Uintah County reporting a missing kid successful an evident effort to find retired wherever her girl and ex-husband are living, according to nan affidavit.

“Lindsey has aggregate documented incidents wherever she has attempted to find and get forbidden possession of her daughter. Lindsey has besides continued to make mendacious claims of a missing kid moreover aft nan attempted kidnapping of kid victim. She has besides been portion of a group of criminals that person made statements astir not honoring tribunal orders,” nan affidavit alleges.

Because her ex-husband useful astatine nan Uintah County Jail, Morrell is being held successful nan Utah County Jail.