Missing Indiana boy found 19 years later

USPA News - A 5-year-old boy who was abducted in 1994 was found by police in Indiana 19 years later, local authorities said. Richard Wayne Landers, Jr., a 5-year-old boy from LaGrange County, Indiana had been abducted on July 29, 1994 by his paternal grandparents, Richard E. and Ruth A. Landers.

Indiana State Police in a statement confirmed that he had been located in Long Prarie, Minnesota, where he has been living, married and in good condition. Indiana State Police Detective Jeff Boyd, on said that the elder Landers were allegedly upset over "pending court proceedings regarding the placement of their grandson." The Landers then allegedly took the then five year old boy and left from their home in the Wolcottville area to an unknown destination. The grandparents were facing charges related to interference with custody, but in September 2008, with neither the child nor his grandparents ever having been located, the LaGrange County Prosecutor`s Office filed a letter with the Court and the charges were dropped. Investigative work continued in the following years and a few months ago, in September 2012, the boy`s step-father, Richard Harter contacted authorities and provided them with the young Richard`s Social Security card. The number was then tracked down to a man in Minnesota with the same date of birth and appeared to bear a potentially similar resemblance as to how the missing boy might look today. It was soon determined that the grandparents, who are living in Browerville, Minnesota under different aliases, made statements indicating their true identities and verified that the young man that was found was indeed Richard Wayne Landers, Jr., who is now 24 years of age. It was not disclosed whether the grandparents would be facing possible charges.