Police Say No Threat To Public After Kidnapped Teen Found Safe
Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter
GLENN HEIGHTS (CBS11) - She was walking in a group near her home and kidnapped by masked men.
Saturday night's kidnapping of 17-year-old Keidra Kirby terrified parents. But after finding her safe Sunday morning, police urged the public not to worry.
Investigators insist there is no continued threat to public safety.
Police tell CBS11 there are no new details they can release, but we are starting to get a better picture of what may have happened.
News that Kirby had been safely found came as a relief not only to her family but to others who live in her quiet community.
"You just don't hear that much in this neighborhood, so I was surprised and worried about what that meant for the neighborhood," neighbor Brittany Maness said.
At a news conference, police released few details about what they had learned from the victim, but they reassured the public this was an isolated incident and that the public was safe.
"That tells me as a former investigator that they think there's some problems with what actually really happened," Pete Schulte said.
An attorney and former police officer, Schulte finds a lot suspicious about Kirby's kidnapping. He points out most abductions happen when children are alone, not in groups, and it's strange for a kidnapper to leave behind two witnesses. As detectives continue to investigate, Schulte says some things are already clear.
"They have figured out through their investigation that this was not a random attack. This wasn't just a van pulling down and looking at a girl, and saying let's get her in the van. There's something else going on here that we don't know yet," Schulte said.
Kirby's family asked for privacy, but her parents did tell us they don't know how she was able to get away from her kidnappers to contact them.
"There's several scenarios. One is that this is not what it was reported to be. It wasn't an actual kidnapping, but it looked like it. Second of all is that the 17-year-old was actually targeted. That's why it's an isolated incident that they're not worried about other people or other children being kidnapped in that area," Schulte said.
For now some in the neighborhood say they still feel safe even without a complete explanation.
"Here it is broad daylight someone's walking in a group, and she gets taken, but I think there is obviously more to the story," Maness said.
Police have told us unless pertinent facts develop they do not anticipate another release, but this does remain an active kidnapping investigation, and anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact local law enforcement.
(©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
