Child Abduction Investigation Suspended After Girl Recants Story in Hall County

The Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) has suspended its investigation into an alleged attempted child abduction that was reported on Thursday morning, April 24th. The decision came after the 12-year-old girl who made the claim admitted her story was untrue.

Throughout the day, investigators diligently searched for a suspect and investigated the alleged incident, which the child reported occurred while she was waiting for the school bus on East Main Street at Old Cornelia Highway. However, during a scheduled forensic interview late Thursday afternoon, the girl disclosed that no one had attempted to abduct her.

Investigators now believe that a neighbor verbally greeted the child from his porch, which caused her to become scared and run home. She subsequently fabricated the story about an attempted abduction. The HCSO will not be pursuing any charges in this matter and is now focusing on connecting the child and her family with appropriate care and support services.

Sheriff Gerald Couch acknowledged the extensive efforts of the HCSO Uniform Patrol Division, Criminal Investigations Bureau, K9 teams, Intelligence Unit, and Drone Unit, as well as the assistance provided by the Gainesville Police Department and the Georgia State Patrol. “While this was an unfortunate situation, the important things to remember are that the child is safe and there isn’t a kidnapper at large,” Sheriff Couch stated. “I would like to thank members of the community for keeping their eyes open throughout the day and also our deputies, investigators and law enforcement partners for their diligent work.”