Florida Woman Arrested After 40 Years on the Run for Allegedly Abducting Her 3-Year-Old Daughter from Kentucky
FLORIDA — A 66-year-old Florida woman has been arrested after authorities discovered she had been living under a false identity for four decades — wanted for allegedly abducting her 3-year-old daughter in Kentucky in 1983.
The suspect, known to her neighbors as “Sharon,” was identified as Debra Newton, a former fugitive once listed on the FBI’s Top 8 Most Wanted parental-kidnapping fugitives. Police arrested Newton on November 24, 2025, in The Villages, Florida, after a Crime Stoppers tip revealed her true identity.
Friend Thought Arrest Was a Joke
Body camera footage from the arrest shows Newton standing outside her home walking a dog when officers approached. Her friend, watching the scene unfold, can be heard laughing and saying,
“Uh oh, they’re coming for you, Sharon!”
The friend initially believed the officers were joking — until they placed Newton in handcuffs and informed her that she was wanted for a child abduction case dating back 40 years.
Abduction That Shocked Kentucky
In 1983, 3-year-old Michelle Newton was taken from her Kentucky home by her non-custodial mother, Debra, following a bitter custody dispute. Authorities say Debra Newton fled the state and created a completely new identity, remarrying and settling in Florida under the name “Sharon.”
The case, which received national attention in the 1980s, eventually went cold. In 2000, it was officially closed and removed from the missing-child database, as investigators had no new leads on the mother or the child’s whereabouts.
Break in the Case After 40 Years
That changed in 2025, when Crime Stoppers received an anonymous tip claiming a woman in Florida matched Debra Newton’s old description.
Investigators confirmed the identity using photo comparisons and DNA analysis, which matched Newton’s sister in Kentucky. Police later confirmed that Michelle, now 46 years old, had been living under a different name her entire life, completely unaware she had been abducted as a toddler.
Emotional Reunion After Decades Apart
After police informed Michelle of her true identity, she reached out to her biological father, Joseph Newton, who had never stopped searching for her.
“She’s always been in our hearts,” Joseph told reporters. “I can’t describe what it felt like to finally put my arms around my daughter again. It was just like the day she was born — like an angel coming home.”
Community Shocked by the Revelation
Neighbors in The Villages described Newton as “quiet” and “friendly,” saying she often walked her dog and participated in local gatherings. Many were stunned to learn she had been living as a wanted fugitive for decades.
“We thought the police were playing a prank,” one neighbor said. “Nobody could believe she had that kind of past.”
Legal Proceedings Underway
Authorities confirmed that Debra Newton is facing charges related to parental kidnapping and identity fraud. She is currently being held in Marion County Jail pending extradition to Kentucky.
Investigators say Michelle’s father and extended family are working with counselors to help her process the revelation and reconnect with relatives she never knew.
“This case reminds us that even decades later, the truth can find its way back,” an officer involved in the arrest said.
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