Awesome - He Went Missing For 2 Years, Then Someone Told Cops To Look Behind The Dresser.
Barging In
Cops had little hope of finding anything when they walked into the home of Diane Dobbs. Years ago, they had searched her property. But in this instance, they took a closer look. When they pushed aside a dresser that was against the wall, they uncovered a truth that would shake their very foundation.
A lot of people who would’ve loved to just barge in and look under every single piece of furniture and every corner of the house. But they had to go through the police, who were reasonably suspicious at this point. They were there to inspect every inch of that home.
The Discovery
After all those years, the police had finally stumbled into something that changed the course of the investigation…and a lot of people’s lives. When they pushed a dresser aside, they unearthed a secret that left the entire police department in shock. They simply could’ve never imagined someone could do such a thing.
Shannon Wilfong and Michael Chekevdia didn't have the best relationship, but they continued to stay with each other. But in 2002, things got a lot more complicated when Shannon gave birth to their son, Ricky. The couple tried making it work, but they continued to fight. So eventually, they broke up but shared custody of their son. But this wouldn't last forever.
Victims?
But Shannon and Michael seemed to be victims of a little phenomenon called “overstaying your welcome." Lots of people stay in relationships they absolutely loathe, but why do they do that? Well according to research, people tend to worry about their partners and what would happen to them if they were to break things off. But Shannon and Michael's relationship was rotten to the core.
Last Ditch Attempt
Every couple is a little co-dependent. And even if they’re absolutely miserable in that relationship, people often stay longer than they want to when they don’t know if their S.O. is going to be okay. And if they have a child together, like Shannon and Michael, then things are bound to get even more complicated.
Tug Of War
Once a couple splits up, there’s a lot more than heartbreak, memories, and sadness. Children could be left with separation anxiety, particularly when they have to choose which parent to live with. Then you’ve got to prepare yourself for the many legal fees and court appointments to come.
They Didn’t Know What To Do
Shannon and Michael didn’t want to deal with the headache that comes from splitting up. So they gave it one last shot to save their relationship until they finally realized they couldn’t take it anymore.
It Was All A Facade
They were simply too different. From the outside, they looked like a great couple. But here’s the truth about those seemingly “loving and happy couples." Relationships are like onions: they’re full of layers. Shannon, Michael, and Ricky looked like the perfect family from the outside, but if you peel the outer layer, you’d be surprised by what you find.
Co-Parenting
Shannon and Michael couldn’t take it anymore. Their relationship had become so strained, that they could barely tolerate living with each other. Finally, they made the sound decision to move on and break things off, but this was no easy task.
Amicable Split?
Shannon and Michael wanted to stay civil and co-parent their child. They devised a good co-parenting management system so that their separation wouldn’t hurt little Ricky. But their broken relationship left them distrusting one another and completely heartbroken. Sadly, their amicable split turn sour real fast, particularly when Michael was deployed overseas.
He Wanted To Be A Good Dad
Since 1982, Michael was part of the National Guard and was stationed in West Frankfort, which was close to Royalton, Illinois, his hometown. But he was deployed to Iraq shortly after his son was born. He tried to stay in touch with Ricky while he was overseas and counted the days until he would be back home with his young son.
He Missed His Dad
Michael knew that military fathers can still be great parents even if they’re miles away from home. He often reached out and tried to stay in touch with Ricky every chance he got. His deployment made Ricky feel uneasy. He missed his father greatly, but Michael was deployed, not absent.
His Time Was Up
Michael made a lot of efforts to stay connected to his child. A call, a letter, or a simple “I love you, son” is enough to lessen the burden of separation and maintain a much-needed continuity to the bond a father and his child used to share back when he was physically present in his life. But things were about to make a turn.
Excited
Fortunately, Michael’s tour of duty was coming to an end. He was counting every minute of the day and wanted to fly home and give his boy the biggest hug in the world. But sadly, him coming back didn’t make things any easier.
The Custody Agreement Broke Down
Michael's tour of duty ended in 2004, and he headed back to Illinois. He was anxious to spend some quality time with his kid but hadn't anticipated the obstacles he'd encounter. Shannon wasn't used to sharing custody and began causing problems. She refused to let Michael hang out with Ricky, and things got so nasty that he took her to court.
High Conflict Exes
Shannon was seemingly on a mission to alienate Ricky from Michael. She was too busy trying to foster the child’s rejection towards his father to actually care about his well-being. She kept trying to invalidate Michael and his efforts to stay in his life. But children can become really stressed and confused by their parents’ toxic relationship. Often times, they get caught in the middle just like Ricky.
A Victim
Ricky was a victim of poor parenting and bad conflict management skills from his parents. When a couple divorces, the first thing on their to-do list should be to seek out counseling. Any good therapist will tell you to never put your kids in a situation where they need to choose sides. But Shannon’s parenting was so dysfunctional, she was doing everything in her power to complicate the situation even more.
Separation And Manipulation
Kids should be shielded from conflict, and they should never get manipulated to hate one of their parents. What Ricky was experiencing was so grueling, it was taking a toll on him too. Someone as young as Ricky would’ve had a tough time understanding if one of his parents had simply disappeared.
Legal Way
But Michael didn’t just take off and abandon Ricky. It was Shannon who was making things complicated. She even stopped allowing him visitation rights. Ricky was so young, he could’ve believed that Michael didn’t want a relationship with him at all. But this was far from the truth. He was about to take Shannon to court and force her to respect their agreement one way or the other. But there was one problem.
No-Show In Court
In 2007, Michael took Shannon to court because she had turned her back on their custody agreement. He was banking on the judge to force Shannon to obey the visitation rights she and Michael had agreed on. A court date was eventually set, but Shannon was a no-show. The judge took this into account and granted Michael temporary custody. But this was just the start of the battle.
Vanished Into Thin Air
Ricky and his mother Shannon vanished before Michael even got the chance to bring his son home. No one knew where they'd run off to. There were listed as missing in November of 2007. A warrant was issued for Shannon when it became clear that she had run away with the kid. Then, a whole different account began to surface.
Where Were They?
A parent with legal custody of their kid cannot be arrested or charged with parental kidnapping, but that’s the thing. Shannon no longer had full custody of the child. Michael had every right to see his kid, especially now that he was granted temporary custody.
Where To Start
Even though the law was on his side, Michael didn’t know what to do next. All he wanted to do was scream and barge into people's housing, and just look for his kid. But where would you begin to search first if your ex-wife and child went missing? He couldn’t take the law into his own hands. Michael knew he needed to play by the rules. But he was getting anxious.
What Was Going On?
Michael was starting to worry he’d never get to see his kid again. He knew he had to be patient with the police and let them do their work. After all, a court order didn’t mean squat if he didn’t know where Shannon had taken Ricky. But that was just one of the many issues he was about to face.
Tracing Them
He wasn’t about to sit down and wait until Shannon grew some sense and decided to come home. But Michael could’ve never expected the mother of his child to be so manipulative and abusive.
Alleged Horrors
According to Shannon's mother, Diane Dobbs, Michael abused Ricky. Both she and her daughter allegedly raised these concerns before. But there was no evidence that this was true. Dobbs, however, believed Shannon took Ricky somewhere where he'd be safe from Michael. Diane made it her mission to ruin Michael's reputation.
Ridiculous Accusations
The law stipulates someone is innocent until proven guilty, but we all know that’s not the way it plays out in real life. Rumors have the power to destroy a man’s reputation and even their career. Shannon, (along with her mother) made sure to drag his name through the mud. They seemed to be on a mission, and that included letting neighbors and passersby know what Michael supposedly did to his family.
Dragging Through The Mud
Michael and Diane lived only three miles away from one another. He soon learned that she had placed lots of posters in her front yard, claiming that Michael was a liar and a child abuser. She even handed out fliers at Michael's church and around the neighborhood to tarnish his reputation. Michael immediately assumed that Diane was keeping something a secret.
Playing Dirty
Diane Dobbs was evidently incapable of distancing herself from the couple’s conflict and focus on the needs of the child. She blindly went by whatever Shannon had told her, and now, she was using every strategy she could think of to justify her daughter and grandchild's disappearance.
A Clear Vendetta
Clearly, Diane was somehow in touch with Shannon. There was no other way to explain this woman’s vendetta against Michael. Even if she did believe that Ricky's dad was abusive, why was she actively trying to destroy him? Why wasn't she looking for her grandson?
A Dead End Search
Cops searched Diane's house for any signs of Ricky, and this was Michael's idea. But unfortunately, the police didn't find any clues that could solve his disappearance. Two years later, and there was no news, but Michael continued to search, and then there was a break in the case in 2009.
Finding Clues
Michael wasn’t about to give up on his son. He was on a quest to find out where Shannon had taken him. Even if it took him his entire life, this dad was willing to search all across if he had to. After they searched the house, the cops had to refocus the investigation…until they received an unexpected call.
Mysterious Dresser
A tip led police to look at Diane's home again. They investigated the two-story home, but explored every corner and made sure not to miss anything. Then, cops noticed a wooden dresser that had been pushed up against a wall. The officers moved it to the side so that they could take a closer look at what was behind it. Suddenly, everything made sense.
The Discovery Shocked Them
There were many secrets inside Diane’s home, but this one really took the investigators by surprise. They couldn’t believe someone could be this vicious. They had evidently missed some crucial evidence when they searched the home the first time around. But there it was. And it all made sense now.
The Secret Behind The Wall
Cops found a hole that led to a small twelve-feet-long, five-feet wide, and four-feet tall dark room behind the dresser. Inside it, they found Shannon hiding there with Ricky. Cops deduced that Diane had hidden her daughter and grandson away for almost two years. As they took the boy away, the cops were hit with a sad truth.
Hiding In The Closet
All those years Michael spent searching for his boy finally paid off. After all those sleepless nights, he finally had an answer. He was glad the kid was alive and seemingly in good health, but rage took over fast the minute he realized what Shannon had done.
Conspiring To Hide Him
Shannon and Diane had conspired to isolate Ricky and hide him in a 5x12 room that was the size of a washing machine. No one could believe Ricky’s own mother could do that to him. It felt like a horrible movie plots, but this was Ricky and Michael’s sad reality.
The Boy Behind The Wall
What happened to Ricky was so bizarre, that the story quickly spread like wildfire. When the media got a hold of it, they deemed Ricky, “the boy behind the wall." But he didn’t get there by his own free will. Someone had forced him to spend all those years in isolation, and now they needed to pay for what they’d done.
Outdoor Happiness
Sergeant Stan Diggs of the Illinois Police Department said, “We let him out of the [patrol] car, and he ran around like he’d never seen outdoors.” He added, "It was actually very sad. He was very happy to be outside. He said he never goes outside.” The cops wanted to give Ricky and his dad the justice they deserved.
Cops Were Heartbroken
Being isolated for so long could have left Ricky with many health issues. It was clear that this child hadn’t been outside in ages. Cops have seen it all. But they couldn’t help but feel completely heartbroken by the way Ricky reacted when he went outdoors. It was heartbreaking. But how did they manage to hide him for so long?
Facing The Consequences
Shannon was taken into custody and charged with felony child abduction. Her mom, Diane, was also charged with aiding and abetting and was arrested. Then she was freed on bail and tried spinning the story to make it seem like Ricky had enjoyed freedom over the last two years, but the evidence didn't seem to match her story.
The Pain They Caused
Clearly, Shannon and Diane lacked the capacity to understand what they’d done to their own flesh and blood. If isolation can take a mental toll on an adult, imagine what it can do to a little boy like Ricky. Not only that, but he was probably made to believe that his dad had abandoned him.
The New Normal
Freedom almost always brings a sense of calm, relief, and elation. But adjusting back to “normal” life can be pretty difficult once you’ve been kept in isolation. There was no way that Ricky could’ve simply walked into his old life.
The Stress
Anyone could see that Ricky had been kept completely isolated from the world. He spent the last years confined in a tiny room, away from everything and everyone. Transitioning from isolation to daily normal life would result in significant adjustment difficulties for the kid. And the fact that Shannon was denying it had any type of negative effect on him was infuriating to say the least. But she would get punished for what she'd done, right?...
The Bogus Story
Neighbors were interviewed and they claimed they never saw Ricky outside Diane's home. The child showed signs of isolation but was in good spirits. Sergeant Diggs added, “For someone who’s been isolated in that house with no other outside beings, he is a very social, very polite, very talkative little boy.” But for Diane and her daughter, luck had just about run out.
Seeking Justice
Justice was getting served, but Shannon and Diane were clearly in denial. Luckily, Ricky was adjusting well, and he didn’t seem to be too traumatized about the experience. Still, the public hoped to see Shannon and Diane behind bars for what they'd done to Ricky and Michael. But for some reason, the law turned a blind eye, or so it seemed.
The Battle Was Over
After appearing on "Good Morning America," Diane was once again arrested. While she and her daughter fought the legal charges, Ricky was placed in the custody of Michael's relatives while the case was thoroughly investigated. In 2011, Shannon pled guilty and was fined $1,500. She was also on probation for two years. But Michael was finally cleared.
A Slap On The Wrist
Michael was finally off the hook, but people couldn’t help but feel like Shannon got a slap on the wrist after abducting her own child and hiding him in a crawl space. The police discovered that Shannon had kept the boy alienated from his friends, family, and hadn’t received medical care or education. So why was the judge so soft in this case?
Father And Son Were Together Again
Michael got permanent custody of his son after the case was closed. He retired from the National Guard a year later. As a single dad, he managed to give Ricky, a life and a stable home, which he had been denied for several years, even though the child had done nothing wrong.
A Slap On The Wrist
The prosecutor and judge who agreed to such a laughable plea bargain may want to do a little digging and read some of the science behind parental alienation and parental abduction which is anything but ambiguous. What Shannon Wilfong did was child abuse, and a soft sentence like the one she got sends a truly disturbing message. A narcissistic parent can kidnap a child, and it’s no big deal according to the law. They’re not technically condoning it, but if you do take your child and run off, you’ll only get fined. Shannon Wilfong abducted her child and deprived him of seeing his father for two years. Once she got caught, the law barely batted an eye. Clearly, it’s time to push for stricter parental alienation laws.
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