Thanks to this case's high profile, extensive media coverage, and thousands of tips from concerned citizens, FBI agents were successful in staging a recovery operation that involved separating Clark Rockefeller from his daughter, 7-year-old Reigh Boss, arresting Rockefeller and recovering the child. The recovery was in Baltimore, Maryland where Rockefeller had leased a small carriage house. The child was unharmed and her mother was quickly on her way to get her.
Apparently a real estate agent who had leased the loft to Rockefeller tipped off law enforcement that he thought a recent lessee was the elusive father of the kidnapped child.
A 2-day stakeout followed. Finally, in order to protect the child, FBI agents telephoned Rockefeller to advise that his 26-foot catamaran, docked at a nearby marina, was taking on water. When Rockefeller walked toward the marina to investigate, agents quickly arrested him and immediately went into the apartment and recovered the child.
This was one of the more unusual kidnapping cases where an Amber Alert was issued, at least in some states. Amber Alerts are reserved for the most serious of abductions, typically abductions by strangers, not parents. These are the primary criteria by which an Amber Alert is activated:
- There is reasonable belief by law enforcement an abduction has occurred
- The abduction is of a child age 17 years or younger
- The law-enforcement agency believes the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death
- There is enough descriptive information about the victim and abduction for law enforcement to issue an AMBER Alert to assist in the recovery of the child
- The child’s name and other critical data elements, including the Child Abduction flag, have been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computer
You can review important information about the Amber Alert Program -- how it works, how to activate it, and how to make a report of a sighting here. FAQ Amber Alert
To read the London Times Online article about the Reigh Boss parental kidnapping, see Police free kidnap girl Reigh by tricking father Clark Rockefeller [August 3, 2008]
See also the Baltimore Sun with more local information here. Fugitive father caught in Baltimore
A valuable resource: Parental Kidnapping: Prevention and Remedies. Patricia M. Hoff, Legal Consultatant to the American Bar Association, Center on Children & the Law, Washington, D.C. Revised December 2000.
See also earlier entries on Updates in Michigan Family Law discussing parental kidnapping.
If your child has been kidnapped, contact Jeanne M. Hannah. You'll find information about her experience helping parents of children who have been kidnapped on her website http://parental-kidnapping.com
Comments