Delayed: Missing New York Child Found Hidden in Hudson Valley

It's going to be another month until three people accused of hiding a girl under stairs in a secret room in the Hudson Valley have their day in court.

Kimberly Shultis, Kurt Shultis Jr., and Kurt Shultis Sr. were supposed to appear in Saugerties Town Court on Wednesday. For an unknown reason, their court appearances were adjourned.

Missing Cayuga Heights, Tompkins County, NY Child Found Hidden in Ulster County

In 2019, 4-year-old Paislee Shultis was reported missing from Cayuga Heights, Tompkins County, New York. At the time, the child was believed to have been abducted by her non-custodial parents, Kimberly Cooper, and Kirk Shultis, police say.

Paislee, now six, was found back in February in a small secret room beneath the stairs in a family member's Hudson Valley home, officials say. She was found at her grandfather's Saugerties home after a tip led police to a search.

Saugerties Police Chief Joseph Sinagra stated the following about the discovery:

Over an hour into the search, Detective Erik Thiele noticed something about the staircase leading from the back of the residence into the basement of the house that caught his attention. Detective Thiele though the construction of the steps were odd, something was out of place, Using a flashlight, Detective Thiele shined the light through a crack between the wooden steps and observed what he believed to be a blanket. Upon inspecting the staircase, the structure appeared to be solid. However, Detectives used a halogen tool to remove several of the wooden steps, and that is when detectives saw a pair of tiny feet. After removing several more steps, the child and her abductor were discovered within. The space was small, cold, and wet.

Ulster County Family Due Back In Saugerties Court

Kimberly Shultis, Kurt Shultis Jr., and Kurt Shultis Sr. are due in court on May 25, WRGB reports.

In February, after being told a child was being held within a hidden location at a residence located at 35 Fawn Road in the Town of Saugerties, Saugerties Police applied for and obtained a warrant from the Town of Saugerties Justice Court authorizing the search of the home for the child.

Police executed the search warrant around 8 p.m. At the time of search warrant execution, the owner of the residence denied having any knowledge of the child’s whereabouts telling officers that he had not seen the child since she was reported missing in 2019, police say.

Paislee was found a little over an hour into the search in a secreted in a makeshift room, under a closed staircase leading to the basement of the residence, officials say.

Upon removing the step boards, the child and her abductor, Kimberly Cooper, her biological mother, were found hiding in the dark and wet enclosure, according to the Saugerties Police Department.