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A Timeline of the Michelle Newton Case:
October 5, 1979 - Michelle Marie Newton is born to Joseph “Joe” Newton and Debra Leigh Curry Newton.
April 2, 1983 - Debra takes three year old Michelle after telling Joe that she got a new job offer in Georgia and was moving there. He planned to meet them there but when he arrived, he couldn’t find his wife or daughter. They disappeared without a trace. The disappearance was allegedly orchestrated by a rogue church group led by a Mr. Michael Hartmann.
1983-1985 - Debra calls Joe for a final time at some point between 1984 and 1985. After they vanished, Debra attempted to file for divorce from Joe on grounds of desertion. She told her attorney that she and Michelle were abandoned by him at a Holiday Inn. He dropped the case once he found out that Michelle was considered missing and Debra was wanted on custodial interference charges. Joe is given full custody of Michelle in 1985.
May 3, 1985 - A felony warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution was issued against Debra by the FBI
2000 - The case against Debra was dismissed and the search is discontinued when Joseph Newton could not be located.
2005 - A bogus call is made to NCMEC from a person identifying themselves as a detective from the Louisville PD claiming that Michelle had been located safe. This resulted in Michelle being removed from all missing persons databases.
2015 - Family members request that the Louisville PD reexamine Michelle’s case since she had not truly been located.
2016 - Michelle's kidnapping case is reopened and Debra is re-indicted for custodial interference in connection with her daughter’s abduction.
2021 - Michelle's case is added back to all missing persons databases and NCMEC creates a new age progression to show how she might look at age 42.
2025 - Crime stoppers receive a tip that Debra is living in Marion County, Florida under the name “Sharon.” She took on a new identity, remarried, started a new life, and retired to The Villages in Piedmont with her husband. A DNA test showed the woman is a 99% match to Debra’s sister, proving she is in fact Debra.
November 24, 2025 - Debra is arrested by Marion County authorities while she is walking her dog in her neighborhood. The entire time, she acts confused and says she doesn’t understand why she’s being taken into custody.
Nov-Dec 2025 - Michelle is located safely living under a different name. She was completely unaware of the fact she was considered a missing child and had no idea she had family searching for her. She was flown to Kentucky to reunite with her father and other relatives.
December 6, 2025 - Debra chooses night to fight extradition and voluntarily waives extradition back to the state of Kentucky. She appeared in court afterward, both Michelle and Joe were present
October 5, 1979 - Michelle Marie Newton is born to Joseph “Joe” Newton and Debra Leigh Curry Newton.
April 2, 1983 - Debra takes three year old Michelle after telling Joe that she got a new job offer in Georgia and was moving there. He planned to meet them there but when he arrived, he couldn’t find his wife or daughter. They disappeared without a trace. The disappearance was allegedly orchestrated by a rogue church group led by a Mr. Michael Hartmann.
1983-1985 - Debra calls Joe for a final time at some point between 1984 and 1985. After they vanished, Debra attempted to file for divorce from Joe on grounds of desertion. She told her attorney that she and Michelle were abandoned by him at a Holiday Inn. He dropped the case once he found out that Michelle was considered missing and Debra was wanted on custodial interference charges. Joe is given full custody of Michelle in 1985.
May 3, 1985 - A felony warrant for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution was issued against Debra by the FBI
2000 - The case against Debra was dismissed and the search is discontinued when Joseph Newton could not be located.
2005 - A bogus call is made to NCMEC from a person identifying themselves as a detective from the Louisville PD claiming that Michelle had been located safe. This resulted in Michelle being removed from all missing persons databases.
2015 - Family members request that the Louisville PD reexamine Michelle’s case since she had not truly been located.
2016 - Michelle's kidnapping case is reopened and Debra is re-indicted for custodial interference in connection with her daughter’s abduction.
2021 - Michelle's case is added back to all missing persons databases and NCMEC creates a new age progression to show how she might look at age 42.
2025 - Crime stoppers receive a tip that Debra is living in Marion County, Florida under the name “Sharon.” She took on a new identity, remarried, started a new life, and retired to The Villages in Piedmont with her husband. A DNA test showed the woman is a 99% match to Debra’s sister, proving she is in fact Debra.
November 24, 2025 - Debra is arrested by Marion County authorities while she is walking her dog in her neighborhood. The entire time, she acts confused and says she doesn’t understand why she’s being taken into custody.
Nov-Dec 2025 - Michelle is located safely living under a different name. She was completely unaware of the fact she was considered a missing child and had no idea she had family searching for her. She was flown to Kentucky to reunite with her father and other relatives.
December 6, 2025 - Debra chooses night to fight extradition and voluntarily waives extradition back to the state of Kentucky. She appeared in court afterward, both Michelle and Joe were present
