ST. GEORGE — Four people — including two from Washington City — have been indicted by a federal grand jury and now face kidnapping charges after allegedly taking a child from Utah to live at a religious compound in Missouri.
The Department of Justice said in a news release that non-custodial mother Kimberly Dell Davidson-Drolet, 53, of Murray, Utah, had a warrant issued for her arrest on Dec. 20, 2023. She allegedly kidnapped her non-custodial child from Utah to Springfield, Missouri, in January 2023 through June 2024, according to court documents.
Drolet was assisted in the kidnapping by her son Jaxson Davidson 30, of Washington, Utah; Dallas Davidson, 23, of Washington, Utah; and Kristine Merrill, 53, of Murray, Utah, all of whom are now in custody.
According to the complaint, Drolet used the U.S. Postal Service, cellular and other electronic devices, including a burner flip phone, to conceal her and the child’s whereabouts. Additionally, Drolet went to great lengths to avoid apprehension and formed an elaborate plan to take the child out of Utah with help from J. Davidson, D. Davidson and Merrill, the news release said.
As alleged, Drolet and J. Davison left Utah and drove to Missouri, and Merrill assisted in their departure. After fleeing the state and ignoring the order of the court regarding custody of the child, Drolet remained at large for over a year and hid the child away from her custodial father and law enforcement.
According to the indictment, Drolet planned the kidnapping for 14 months. Throughout the kidnapping, Merrill, J. Davidson and D. Davidson continued to hide Drolet and the child’s location from law enforcement. Prior to Drolet’s arrest, she was observed with the child who was located at a religious compound led by a religious cult leader, who is also related to Drolet.
Drolet, Jaxson Davidson, Dallas Davidson and Merrill are charged with kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Drolet’s initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for Tuesday at 1:45 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 at the U.S. District Courthouse in Salt Lake City. Jaxson Davidson, Dallas Davidson and Merrill have yet to be scheduled.
The case is being investigated jointly by the U.S. Marshals Service Violent Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Murray City Police Department, the news release said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlos A. Esqueda of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crimes and to make neighborhoods safer for everyone, the news release said. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening these neighborhoods based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.
Click here for more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods.
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