KY KY - Michelle Marie Newton, 3, Louisville, 2 Apr1983

[John/Jane Doe]

Villager arrested in connection with little girl missing since 1983 - Villages-News.com

A Villager has been arrested in connection with a little girl who went missing in 1983.

www.villages-news.com

November 25, 2025

A Villager has been arrested in connection with a little girl who went missing in 1983.

Debra Leigh Newton, 66, of the Village of Piedmont, was arrested Monday by Marion County sheriff’s deputies. At the time of her arrest she was considered a fugitive from justice in Kentucky. Officially, she has been charged with “custodial interference.”

*****
Due to inaccurate information, Michelle Newton’s missing persons case was removed from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2005. The warrant for Debra Newton was also withdrawn. The case was closed for some years until it was reopened as a cold case in 2015. Michelle Newton’s missing persons information was added back to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2021.

Debra Newton was being held on $35,000 bond at the Marion County Jail.


View attachment 626999

She hasn't said what she did with Michelle?

 

[Megsc]

Villager arrested in connection with little girl missing since 1983 - Villages-News.com

A Villager has been arrested in connection with a little girl who went missing in 1983.

www.villages-news.com

November 25, 2025

A Villager has been arrested in connection with a little girl who went missing in 1983.

Debra Leigh Newton, 66, of the Village of Piedmont, was arrested Monday by Marion County sheriff’s deputies. At the time of her arrest she was considered a fugitive from justice in Kentucky. Officially, she has been charged with “custodial interference.”

*****
Due to inaccurate information, Michelle Newton’s missing persons case was removed from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2005. The warrant for Debra Newton was also withdrawn. The case was closed for some years until it was reopened as a cold case in 2015. Michelle Newton’s missing persons information was added back to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2021.

Debra Newton was being held on $35,000 bond at the Marion County Jail.


View attachment 626999

Did they find Michelle as well ????

 

[Mysteries1974]

Did they find Michelle as well ????

No, Michelle has not been found

 

[victoriarobinson642]

That's wild. It seems like she was living in plain sight this whole time. I wonder if she even used an alias.

 

[John/Jane Doe]

According to one comment, Michelle is alive and well, and that she now goes by the name Amanda and has 3 children.

https://www.facebook.com/100063796704904/posts/1425047149631828

 

[Mysteries1974]

According to one comment, Michelle is alive and well, and that she now goes by the name Amanda and has 3 children.

https://www.facebook.com/100063796704904/posts/1425047149631828

I found the comment and found the post the comment was referring to. Debra’s nephew posted about the situation and how DNA ultimately led LE to Debra. He stated that Michelle is alive, goes by a different name and has three children of her own. She flew to reunite with her family this week while Debra was arrested.

 

[Mysteries1974]

I’m very happy Michelle has been located safely. I know her father was absolutely devastated after Debra took her away and I hope he was able to see her.

 

[Unalienable Rights]

Video of Michelle and her dad.

Woman found alive, reunited with family more than 40 years after custodial kidnapping

“This is the kind of case you see once in a law-enforcement career,” Col. Steve Healey said.

www.whas11.com

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) helped reunite a family and closed a more than 40-year-old missing-person and custodial-kidnapping investigation Monday.

*****
In 2025, a Crime Stoppers tip in Florida found a possible match for Debra, and JCSO Detective Constance Jones confirmed the resemblance. DNA from Debra's sister showed a 99.99% match to the person in Florida.

Authorities said a family member came to Kentucky and posted the bond, and Debra voluntarily appeared in Louisville court.

*****
Michelle, who was living in another state under a different identity, contacted the Sheriff's Office after finding out about her family history, and the department was able to reunite her with her family, according to the sheriff's office.

She told JCSO she had not realized she was a victim until she saw everything she missed.

*****

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

Debra Newton arrest video.

 

[Ssschu]

Debra Newton arrest video.

The neighbor joking "they're coming for you, Sharon!!" and then laughing hysterically. She must have gotten whiplash from that shock!

 

[Mysteries1974]

Debra Newton arrest video.

I can’t tell if she she’s faking not knowing why they are there for her or if she genuinely believed she got away with everything because her warrant had been thrown out years ago.

I spoke with the original detective who re-indicted Debra and began investigating Michelle’s case in 2015 a few a years ago when I found Michelle’s case on newspapers.com.

He said that “someone” who identified themselves as a detective from the Louisville PD called NCMEC and said Michelle had been located. The name given by the detective was found to be false, there was no detective with the Louisville PD by that name at the time.

The detective said the abduction was facilitated by a rogue church group led by a man identified as Michael Hartmann, the same guy whose name Debra used when selling the family car in Georgia.

Hartmann died in 2005, the same year that Debra’s warrant was tossed out and Michelle’s NCMEC listing being removed. The bogus call about Michelle being found was made at the time of his funeral, most likely to ensure no police would surveil the funeral.

I’m glad Michelle has been reunited with her family at long last. But this makes me wonder if something fishy happened with the whole warrant and missing listing being thrown out. Hope I’m wrong.