by EMILY MELTON
News Reporter

Twins Anna Rose and Hopi Scout Gray were reported missing from Eureka Springs, Ark., over a year ago.

Their non-custodial mother, Rebecca C. Gray, allegedly abducted the children, and a felony warrant is on file for Gray, who attended Appalachian State University.

According to a Nov. 3 press release, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Case Manager Phyllis O’Brien said there are indications the mother would return to the area.

“It’s my understanding that the mother has been in the area before as an ASU student and has ties here, [in] Asheville and possibly some surrounding areas,” Detective David Osborne of the Boone Police Department said.

The children were last seen  Sept. 13, 2007, are both 5 years of age and have brown hair and blue eyes.

Their mother is now 38 years of age and has brown hair and brown eyes. Police said she may use her last name, Gray, as her alias.

“There are very few child abduction cases that happen in Boone,” Captain Jaska “Dee Dee” Rominger of the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office said. “Usually, someone involved in a child abduction case has traveled from another state and is hiding out here.”

If the children are found in Boone, Rominger said the Sheriff’s Office would immediately notify the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, as the Gray children are listed through the organization.

“The children would be kept by our Social Services Department for safe care until they could be taken back to Arkansas,” she said.

The penalty for child abduction varies depending on an individual’s prior convictions.

“However, it wouldn’t make a difference whether or not the abductor is a relative,” Rominger said. “The penalty would still be the same.”

If Gray and her children are found, the penalty would also depend on the Arkansas statute.

Though these types of cases are uncommon in Boone, Rominger said they are frequently reported in other areas. 

“Usually they involve parents and marital disputes, when one parent has custody but the other wants to move away and take the children, for example,” she said.

Rebecca J. Tomlinson, Boone Police Department officer, said the department was notified of the case.

When asked what someone should do if they think they have spotted the children, Tomlinson said to contact a police officer as soon as possible.

“Don’t hesitate to call,” Tomlinson said. “It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Tomlinson also suggested keeping track of where the children and potential abductor are located.

“Make note of the vehicle they’re in, as well,” she said. “A lot of people give us descriptions of the children and their abductors, but it’s easier for us to locate them if we search our database for a tag number and a description of the vehicle they’re in.”

Tomlinson would also like to make others aware they should not approach someone who they think may be an abductor.

“They’ll either have a fight or flight response, and it’s easier for law enforcement to find them if they don’t know we’ve been contacted,” she said.

According to the Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution Parental Kidnapping Process, a criminal arrest warrant can be issued for an abducting parent who flees across state lines when criminal charges are filed by a state that requests help from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).

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