A decades-old kidnapping case has finally been resolved, bringing closure to a family that has searched for answers since 1983. Michelle Newton, who disappeared at just three years old, has been reunited with her father after investigators located her and arrested her mother, who is now facing kidnapping-related charges.
Newly released body camera footage shows the moment deputies arrested the woman living under the name Sharon in The Villages. Authorities say her real name is Debra Newton, who was once listed among the FBI’s top parental kidnapping fugitives. In the video, deputies inform her of the identity and life she left behind more than 40 years ago, as she appears stunned and denies knowledge of the accusations.
According to investigators, Debra Newton left for Georgia in 1983 to begin work and prepare a home while her husband, Joe Newton, planned to follow. When he arrived, both Debra and their young daughter were gone. For more than four decades, the case remained a mystery.
A breakthrough came after a Crime Stoppers tip led authorities to Debra’s location and ultimately to Michelle, who had grown up unaware that her father and extended family had been searching for her since her disappearance.
The emotional reunion between Michelle and her father marked the end of a long and painful chapter. Joe Newton described the moment he was able to embrace his daughter again as overwhelming.
Neighbors who knew Debra under her assumed identity described her as pleasant and happily married, expressing shock at the revelations.
Debra Newton now faces charges related to the alleged kidnapping as investigators continue to review the circumstances surrounding the decades-long disappearance.
