How in dahail do you abduct a child and receive a $1,000 secured bond? Is it possible? Yes. But it’s not usually what you see in a case like this. Whew. She must have the Con-NECT-NECT.
The Onslow County Sheriff’s Department says they have charged and arrested an N.C. licensed private investigator for abducting a child.
The Onslow County Sheriff’s Department says the woman arrested, Melanie Lynne Keen, was hired by an attorney in January representing a couple seeking custody of an infant. On January 11, reports came in that a child had been taken from its grandmother in Holly Springs. Police say Keene took the child and carried it to the couple that the attorney represents.
According to a press release, Keene was under the pretext that an Ex-Parte Hearing for Temporary Emergency Custody would take place on Jan. 12. Keene also advised the couple to turn off their phones and not speak with law enforcement to prevent the child from being returned to its grandmother.
Warrants against Keene were obtained March 10 and on March 11, she was arrested in Brunswick County and charged with the following:
- Felony Abduction of Children
- Felonious Restraint
- Felony Obstructing Justice
Keene, 60, Maplechase Drive in Leland was booked in the Brunswick County Detention Center under a $1,000 secured bond awaiting her first appearance.
