Missing Girl From 2019, Thankfully Found Alive And Well Under Staircase

Paislee Shultis vanished in 2019, and for more than two years, no one knew where the little girl had gone. Then a tip led police to a house in Saugerties, New York, where the search turned up something hidden in plain sight.

The case centered on Paislee’s non-custodial parents, Kimberly Cooper and Kirk Shultis Jr., along with a home owned by her paternal grandfather. What officers found under a staircase brought the long search to an abrupt end, and it raised fresh questions about how long she had been kept out of sight.

Now the story has shifted from a missing-child mystery to the fallout that followed. Read on.

Police located the little girl in a makeshift room under a closed staircase leading to the basement of her grandfather's home.

Saugerties Police

Paislee, now six and a half, was deemed to be in good health. There was no evidence of abuse, and she was later released and reunited with her older sister.

The Teal Mango

Sadly, Paislee has missed out on her first years of schooling. "During our initial interview, unfortunately, we found that she does not read or write," police said.

"She was not getting educated at home, so there is no homeschooling in place at all, and that's a disadvantage," they said. "This is the sad part of the story."

"She's missed out on that part of life, going to school, and now hopefully she'll have an opportunity to do that," the statement added. The reasons for Paislee's family losing custody of her are unknown.

That part of the case hit especially hard.

This pet-sitting mess is like an AITA debate where someone kept a lost pet.

Paislee and her custodial mother Kimberley were found "hiding in the dark and wet enclosure once officers removed the step boards."

Saugerties Police

Kimberly Cooper and Kirk Shultis Jr. faced a judge for charges pertaining to her abduction. Paislee's grandfather also appeared in court, and restraining orders were issued by the judge.

"We're not here to hurt them," said Saugerties Police Chief Joseph Sinagra. "If they had complied with that court order two years ago, depending on what the deficiency was within the household that caused a judge to remove those children, there's a good possibility that they could've taken corrective action."

"And today, they would have full custody of those kids. Now, I don't know again what that deficiency was, so that may or may not be the case."

The Teal Mango

Paislee's custodial parents had been hiding her in a house belonging to her paternal grandfather.

The Teal Mango

Cooper was arrested on charges including endangering the welfare of a child and custodial interference. Shultis Jr. and his father were each charged with felony custodial interference and misdemeanor child endangerment.

"I am hoping that sometime in the future the family has learned from this," said Sinagra. "And that with proper services put in place by county social services, by the Ulster County Family Child Advocacy Center, and by CPS, that eventually the family will gain the right to actually get custody of the kids, which is ultimately what we're looking for."

Police say the investigation is ongoing, and additional arrests are still pending. Paislee has since been reunited with her grandmother and teenage sister.

Now the case is headed toward its next chapter.

For another shocking family case, read Luke Daley’s first words about the Nancy Guthrie abduction.