Two adults, abducted as children 20 years ago, could soon be reunited with their parents after being found in California, according to a published report.
Christie and Bobby Baskin were found Monday with their grandfather Marvin Maple in San Jose, the Murfreesboro Post reported. One woman who wanted to remain anonymous reported to authorities that Maple, who went by the name John Bunting, made statements about being wanted, the paper reported. Another woman identified him through an Internet photograph.
In the late 1980s, Christie and Bobby Baskin's grandparents Marvin and Sandra Maple accused the children's parents of sexually abusing the children. Authorities in Tennessee ultimately found no evidence to support those claims, but in March 1989, Christie and Bobby's grandparents allegedly kidnapped them and disappeared.
"I can't go into details about psychological stability, but obviously you don't run off with your children's kids like this unless there is something wrong with you," the children's father, Mark Baskin, told us in January.
Debbie and Mark Baskin have been searching for nearly 20 years for their children. Mark said that Debbie's parents were always one step ahead of them.
"They have known all this time how to blend in and not do things to electronically alert themselves," Mark said.
A few sightings of the children were reported in the Bay Area in the '90s after the children appeared on the TV show "Unsolved Mysteries." In December, 2008, Tennessee authorities got a tip from that they may have been spotted in San Diego, according to Mark.
Local
San Jose police arrested Maple Monday night. Maple is in custody charged with kidnapping his grandchildren March 1, 1989 when Christie was 8 and Bobby, 7, the Murfreesboro Post reported. Grandmother Sandra Maple died about two years ago.
For more details read the Murfreesboro Post article "Baskin Children Discovered Alive and Well."
