Investigators pursuing other possible suspects, victims in Amish kidnapping -
CANTON — CANTON — Investigators are now pursuing other possible suspects and potential victims after two Hermon residents were charged Friday with kidnapping two Amish girls, according to St. Lawrence County Sheriff Kevin M. Wells.
“We feel that there was the definite potential that there was going to be other victims from these two,” Sheriff Wells said. “There was a lot of thought process went into this. They were looking for opportunities. The motive was to take these girls from their home to victimize them. We were lead to house through information the girls’ provided and a lot of police work.”
The couple did not know the girls, but the act was planned out, Sheriff Wells said. He said the kidnappers were not specifically targeting Amish children, but “targeting opportunity.”
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Mr. Howells is a registered nurse with Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center. Sheriff Wells declined to comment whether drugs played a role in the kidnapping. Ms. Vaisey works at the Bows and Bandanas pet Salon and Resort, Potsdam.
They have been a couple for over a year and half, Sheriff Wells said.
Sheriff Wells said the investigation remains active, and the victims were able to lead police investigators their captors. The sheriff’s department has credited the 12-year-old victim with providing police with critical information that led to the apprehension of Mr. Howells and Ms. Vaisey.
“The girls were strong,” Mr. Wells said. “They were able to verbalize to investigators some different facts about their time in captivity and with those details were instrumental in us being able to make the arrests.”
Sheriff Wells said the couple abducted the girls with the intent to sexually victimize them.
Attorney Bradford C Riendeau, Watertown, who represented Ms. Vaisey, has suggested his client was also a victim in the case.
“They were both involved in the complete scenario,” Sheriff Wells said. “They have been cooperative in interviews to the point where we gained and moved ahead with the arrests.”
Mr. Wells said that Mr. Howell’s three children were not in the home during the time of the abduction, and are living with their mother.
Court documents alleged Mr. Howells and Ms. Vaisey abducted the two children and restrained the children for more than 12 hours with the intent to either inflict physical injury or violate or abuse the two children sexually. They are each charged with two counts of first-degree kidnapping and were sent to the St. Lawrence County Jail without bail following their arraignment late Friday night in Fowler Town Court. A preliminary hearing has tentatively been scheduled for 4 p.m. Thursday.
Based on evidence found at the couple’s home, he said federal charges could be pending.
Video of the Saturday morning news conference can be viewed at http://wdt.me/kidnap-newsconference.
http://www.mpcourier.com/article/20140816/NEWS05/140819114