LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office announced on Dec. 8, 2025, that it has solved a missing person and custodial-kidnapping case that dates back more than 40 years.
Police said the case began in 1983 when Michelle Marie Newton disappeared after her mother, Debra Leigh Curry Newton, claimed she was moving to Georgia for a new job and to prepare a home for the family.
More than a year later, after Debra Newton’s final phone call with her husband, Joseph Newton, both Debra and Michelle vanished, according to investigators. A grand jury indicted Debra Newton for custodial interference, and authorities issued an FBI unlawful flight to avoid prosecution warrant. She was later listed among the FBI’s Top 8 Most Wanted Parental-Kidnapping Fugitives.
The sheriff’s office explained that the case was dismissed in 2000 when the Commonwealth couldn’t reach Joseph Newton. In 2005, officials removed Michelle from the national missing-child database. The investigation was reopened in 2015 at the request of a family member, and in 2016, a grand jury re-indicted Debra Newton.
Investigators said the major breakthrough came in 2025 after a Crime Stoppers tip in Marion County, Florida, identified a 66-year-old woman who resembled Debra Newton but used a different name. DNA testing later showed a 99.99% match to Debra Newton’s sister. After securing an arrest warrant, a family member posted her bond in Kentucky, and Debra voluntarily appeared in Jefferson Circuit Court for arraignment without being extradited.
Meanwhile, Michelle Newton, living in another state under a different name, contacted the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office after discovering her real identity and family history. She has since reunited with her father, Joseph Newton, and other relatives.
Debra Newton now faces a custodial-interference charge. Investigators also emphasized that felony custodial-kidnapping carries no statute of limitations. She appeared in court on Dec. 8 with members of the Newton family and is scheduled to return on Jan. 23.
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