A Villager has been arrested in connection with a little girl who went missing in 1983.
Debra Leigh Newton, 66, of the Village of Piedmont, was arrested Monday by Marion County sheriff’s deputies. At the time of her arrest she was considered a fugitive from justice in Kentucky. Officially, she has been charged with “custodial interference.”
Newton was the “non-custodial parent” of 3-year-old Michelle Newton when the little girl went missing in 1983. She was last seen in Louisville, Kentucky, according to the Missing People in America network. It was initially believed that Debra Newton had taken the little girl to Georgia.
A warrant was issued for Debra Newton’s arrest for custodial interference, but in 2005 the warrant was mistakenly canceled.
“Michelle remains a missing child, however; there has been no indication of her whereabouts since 1983,” according the MPIA network.
Due to inaccurate information, Michelle Newton’s missing persons case was removed from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2005. The warrant for Debra Newton was also withdrawn. The case was closed for some years until it was reopened as a cold case in 2015. Michelle Newton’s missing persons information was added back to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2021.
Debra Newton was being held on $35,000 bond at the Marion County Jail.
If you have any information about this case, contact the Jefferson County Sheriff in Kentucky at (502) 574-5400.