Kidnapped in Kansas, Kelsey Lynn Stelting**UPDATED** found safe

Above is a picture of Stelting, a 16-year-old girl kidnapped this morning outside her southeast Kansas home approximately at 6:30 am. She lives in Independance KS. The other is a map showing where I live. Oklahoma did not issue a Amber Alert. I was busy indoors/outdoors all day and did not see/hear any news or radio reports about his teenager. But, I was driving up and down my states hwys. I travelled hwy 99, hwy 11, hwy 123, and hwy 60. Two of these hwys run parallel to I-75 and 99 goes north all the way to KS. Had I known about this missing girl, I would have been actively watching for her, dammit! I may have driven right by them, or even followed thier vehicle and NOT KNOW IT. The first I heard about her abduction was when I ran into my tiny town's gas station/grocery store at about 5:30 pm. Our police chief (the only cop in our town) recved a fax and posted it at the store, post office, and city hall. I hope this girl is found safe, I am DISGUSTED at my state's way of handling this case. DISGUSTED! An Amber Alert should be in effect, but it is not. I'll update as things happen. Here is the full story:
http://www2.ktul.com/news/stories/0406/318444.html
FBI Joins Investigation Into Teen's Abduction
Tuesday April 11, 2006 8:46pm
Independence, KS (AP) - The F-B-I joins authorities from Kansas and Oklahoma in the search for a 16-year-old girl reported kidnapped this morning outside her southeast Kansas home.Independence Police Chief Lee Bynum says authorities have no witnesses and no suspects in the disappearance of Kelsey Lynn Stelting about 6:30 this morning.The high school junior had gone outside to retrieve a bag of softball bats from the family car for a scheduled double-header tonight.Police and her parents believe a gunman approached Kelsey and ordered her to run to a nearby lumber company, where she was told to get into a white van. The vehicle was last seen heading south on U-S 75 toward the Oklahoma border, about 15 miles away.Family and friends described Kelsey as a talented athlete and singer and a good student. She's 5-foot-4, weighing about 110 pounds, with blond hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information has been asked to call the Independence Police Department at (620) 332-1700 or the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (800) KS-CRIME.
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http://www2.ktul.com/news/stories/0406/318383.html

Why Wasn't An Amber Alert Issued In Oklahoma?
Tuesday April 11, 2006 5:21pm Reporter: Burt Mummolo Posted By: Kevin King
Tulsa - We've received several calls and e-mails, asking why there was no amber alert issued in Oklahoma after a Kansas teenager was abducted at gunpoint and last seen heading here. The search for 16-year-old Kelsey Stelting had been going on for more than eight hours, but the highway signs that are to be used to alert motorists to be on the lookout for her were blank.
We contacted the police department in Independence, Kansas. They tell us they asked the Oklahoma Highway Patrol to issue an amber alert, but were told the case did not meet the criteria, that Kelsey wasn't from Oklahoma, and an amber alert would not be issued. An Oklahoma Department of Transportation officer we spoke with says that's not the case and that authorities in Kansas must have spoken to the wrong person.Amber Alert coordinator Gene Baston did not return NewsChannel 8's phone calls on the issue. Meanwhile, we have notified the governor's office, who said they were unaware of the situation and would look into the matter.Meanwhile, the search continues for Kelsey, who was taken at gunpoint from her front yard and forced into a white van that was last seen heading south toward Oklahoma on Highway 75. Anyone with information on the case is urged to call 911, the Independence Police Department at (620)-332-1700 or the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-KS-CRIME.

*********UPDATE**********10:18 p,m.

My local 10:00pm news just reported Kelsey was found, no other info but it seems like its good..

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***********UPDATE********** 6 am 4/12/06

Channel 8(KTUL) news of Tulsa at 5:50 am has reported that Kelsey walked up to a woman's neighboring home (2 blocks away from her own home).She was unharmed. Kelsey was held under investigative questioning by the FBI until approximately 3 am this morning. Kelsey has reported (via her aunt) that she was driven around for the 16 hours by the man who kidnapped her, she was confused about where she had travelled becasue of all the turns her kidnapper made while driving. The alleged white 'kidnap' van has NOT been found, nor the alleged kidnapper........Rumor in my area has the Feebs questioning the legitimacy of her story....news conference later this morning, Ill update asap (if my chores are finished!)

Entire latest article here:

http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0406/318491.html

http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0406/318491.html

*******************10:45amUPDATE*********************

Independence,KS Police Chief Lee Bynum states they are needing assistance in locating Kelsey's cell phone, which was snatched from her by the abductor. It's as a blue clam shell flip phone. If found: contact police immediately. Bynum says the investigation is still proceeding as a criminal investigation. The Chief would not go into details about how the Kelsey was able to escape. Kelsey says this about her kidnapper:" 'he' comes up behind her in her front yard, orders her to run down the street, If she doesn't he's going to kill her and her family. (He) tells her to run until she comes to this white van that's parked at". As she describes Woods Lumber Company. Then she says he had her get in the van and they leave. The Chief says the cell phone call was placed at about 6:34 a.m. Tuesday morning and came in on a tower south of Independence. He says that indicates the phone at that point was somewhere west and south of Independence.

entire story here:

http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0406/318594.html

*****************4pm 4/12/UPDATE******************

The FBI says it is too early to think that agents or police doubt Kelsey's kidnap story.

entire news story here:

http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0406/318649.html

Kelsey's 911 call here:

http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0406/318625.html

Dispatcher) - "911. State your emergency."

(Kelsey) - "I've been kidnapped. I have been taken from in front of my house. I am in the back of a van. I was told, he put a gun to my head and told me to run or he'd shoot me and my family."

(Dispatcher) - "What's your name, honey?"

(Kelsey) - "My name's Kelsey Stelting."

(Dispatcher) - "Tell me that again."

(Kelsey) - "Kelsey Stelting. S-T-E-L-T-I-N-G."

(Dispatcher) - "Do you know who this guy is?"

(Kelsey) - "I was in front of my house. I didn't see him. He came up behind me."

(Dispatcher) - "What's your address, babe?" (Kelsey) - No response. (Dispatcher) - "What's your address? I can't hear you, honey."

(Kelsey) - "My address is 2-1-5 East Pine Street."

(Dispatcher) - "215 East Pine? Do you have any idea where you are?"

(Kelsey) - "He told me to run or he would shoot me and my family. He said to run until he said I saw his white van and I was supposed to stop. And, when I stopped, he pulled in by the Woods Lumber sign right across from Woods."

(Dispatcher) - "Uh huh. So, you're in a white van."

(Kelsey) - "It's a white van. I don't know which way I'm going. I can't see out. I don't know where I'm going."

(Dispatcher) - "Okay, stay on the phone. So the last place you know where you were was at Woods Lumber?"

(Kelsey) - "Yes. I mean, he's driving now. I don't know."

(Dispatcher) - "Okay, stay on the phone for me honey, okay?"

***Update***

Kelsey's kidnap story a HOAX

entire " I didnt do it for attention" news story here. I am very happy she was not ever in danger and angry at the same time for what she has done....need I say more? Read about it here

http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0406/319068.html

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This whole story involving a 'white kidnap van' eerily reminds me of the RECENT kidnap/rape/murder of 10 yo Elizabeth Wagoner by a neighbor in Tulsa.....

Story here:
http://warponyramblings.blogspot.com/2006/03/horror-in-tulsa-10-yo-girls-body.html
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Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.- Confucious