Qld woman's US abduction case adjourned

Sunshine Coast mother Dorothy Lee Barnett is facing charges of international parental kidnapping in the US.

An extradition hearing for a Queensland woman accused of abducting her infant daughter from the United States two decades ago has been adjourned.

Dorothy Lee Barnett, 53, is facing charges of international parental kidnapping and making a false statement on a passport application in the US.

After losing custody of her 10-month old daughter Savanna Todd in 1994, Barnett allegedly abducted her from South Carolina during an outing.

Police said Barnett left for a birthday party with her daughter and never returned.

A US arrest warrant for Barnett was issued that year.

In November last year Australian and American police found the pair living on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

Barnett has been denied bail pending extradition back to the US, where no court date has been set.

An extradition hearing opened in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday, but it was adjourned until March 11.

If convicted on all charges, she faces more than 20 years in prison.


1 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Watch now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world