Early in the morning on August 18th, Gabrielle Swainson, the 15-year-old daughter of a trucker, was abducted from her home. Gabrielle is the daughter of OOIDA member Alvin Thompson of Virginia. The suspect in the kidnapping, Freddie Grant, is being held by police on weapons charges to which he has pleaded not guilty. You can learn more about the initial abduction here.
Grant has been charged with the abduction of Gabrielle, a crime for which he may face up to 30 years in prison – more if any harm has come to her. The charge became more firm than ever when police found a piece of duct tape in a junkyard near Grant’s home that had both his and Gabrielle’s DNA on it. According to Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, the both sets of DNA were put on to the duct tape at the same time.
Bail was denied to Grant based on his previous history of violence. He has previous charges for assault, battery, domestic violence, kidnapping, and resisting arrest. In addition to these charges he is a suspect in another missing persons case and a murder case, both from 2011.
Grant first became a person of interest after he had assisted in early search efforts for Gabrielle, but refused to cooperate with police when they asked him very rudimentary questions. According to Sheriff Lott, he responded with only “I’m not talking. Talk to my attorney.”
Even though Gabrielle has been missing since August, her family has not given up hope. “I haven’t given up, I’m not going to give up,” her mother said. “I’m pleading to the public to help me. Please bring my child home.”
Anyone with information should call Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.
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Source: landline
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