An 11-year-old Orem girl who was allegedly abducted by a prison parolee relative was found safe in St. George Tuesday after an exhaustive five-day search.
Less than three days after Chelsea Lund's mother and grandmother pleaded before television cameras for the girl's return, Chelsea's captor released her at 4:10 a.m. Tuesday just off I-15 in Washington, Washington County.Lund then walked to a nearby convenience store, where she telephoned her mother in Orem. Police were immediately called on a second phone line that investigators had installed in the Lunds' home to ensure a constant open line.
"This is a great ending," said Orem Police Lt. Karl Hirst. "You don't assume anything. I'm more than pleased. I'm ecstatic."
Lund, reportedly snatched Thursday afternoon by second cousin Frederick S. Laird under the ruse he was taking her to buy a surprise gift for her mother, was found by Washington County deputy sheriffs at a convenience store. She appeared unharmed although hungry, police said.
A preliminary medical exam at Dixie Regional Medical Center showed that Lund is healthy, despite not eating much for five days. Officials are still unsure if she was assaulted.
"We're going to let her sleep until she's more comfortable and she can talk to us," Hirst said. "We've got some food in her and she's sleeping. We're not going to wake her up."
Dea Lund left early Tuesday for St. George to be reunited with her daughter.
Police continue the manhunt for the alleged captor, who was recently paroled from a Colorado prison after serving 13 years for aggravated theft auto, and for charges of escape and attempted escape. They are still unsure of the motive for abducting Chelsea Lund.
"It's still a puzzle why this occurred," Orem Police Lt. Bob Conner said. "There's many more questions that need to be answered."
A preliminary investigation revealed that Laird and Lund spent most of the time between Orem and St. George, police said. The pair reportedly spent two nights sleeping in Laird's Nissan Sentra, and on another night they broke into a cabin in southern Utah.
"That sheds some light on how they seemed to drop off the map," Hirst said.
Police say Laird forged a check for some $200 at a Salt Lake County bank shortly before last week's abduction. FBI officials have obtained a federal warrant for his arrest.
Conner also said investigators were concerned about tips from local women who claimed Laird had a sexually aggressive bent. Laird's records, however, do not show any convictions for sexually oriented crimes.
"It has been reported to us that he has committed some sexual assaults in the past that have gone unreported," Conner said. "We have reason to believe from our investigation so far that Frederick may pose a threat to any females he may come in contact with."
Laird had been invited to live with his grandmother in Murray after his incarceration, and had visited the Lunds three or four times since he arrived in Utah.
He is tanned, with a number of tattoos on his body, especially on the lower arms with a dove on his left shoulder. His head is shaved. He weighs between 180 and 200 pounds and is 5 feet 9 inches tall.
Police also say he has a history of brandishing firearms during brushes with the law. Conner said he is armed with a knife.
A hotline number established by Orem investigators on Friday yielded few solid tips about Laird's whereabouts.
"He's armed and he's still a danger," Conner said.