On Monday, Adalyn Jean Burkett and Marquan L. Edwards were taken into custody and charged with the alleged abduction of two small children, ages 1 and 2.
The incident began on June 24, 2023, when the mother of the children reported to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office that Burkett, whom the mother believed to be a friend, had taken the two kids and her vehicle, without her knowledge or consent.
The investigation revealed that Burkett and Edwards had driven from Panama City, Florida to Milwaukee, Wisconsin with the two children, a journey that took approximately 16 hours. In response to the escalating situation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued a Missing Child Alert which was widely distributed.
In an effort to distance themselves from the investigation, the suspects abandoned the children at a public park in Milwaukee, leaving them completely alone in a major metropolitan area. Later that evening, Milwaukee police found the kids and took them to the local police station.
The following day, U.S. Marshals arrested the suspects at a residence in Milwaukee, and the two children were thankfully found unharmed. Milwaukee police were also investigating the suspects’ actions. Burkett faces one count of interference with child custody and one count of grand theft of an automobile, while Edwards is charged with one count of principal to interference with child custody.