Whitmore Lake woman remains hospitalized after kidnapping that police say was premeditated
A Whitmore Lake woman who police say was kidnapped by the father of her children and driven to northern lower Michigan remains hospitalized after surgery for a severe cut, police say.
The suspect, 23-year-old Brandon Smith, was returned to the Livingston County Jail Saturday. Green Oak Township police say they plan to meet with prosecutors today to review the evidence in the case to determine possible criminal charges.
Brandon Smith and Courtney Beard.
Police accuse Smith of kidnapping Courtney Beard, 21, outside the Olive Garden in Green Oak Township where she worked Friday. The kidnapping was premeditated, a police press release said.
Smith, who was on probation for a domestic assault involving Beard in December, cut off the electronic tether he was ordered to wear and discarded it while he fled with Beard, the release said.
Smith is accused of driving Beard to a remote location in Antrim County, where family property is located. Police said the area had experienced a significant accumulation of snow, and the temperature was bitterly cold.
Deputies from the Antrim County Sheriff's Department found them on the property Saturday morning. Beard was taken by helicopter to Otsego Memorial Hospital in Gaylord for emergency treatment.
According to police, she was suffering from hypothermia and a severe cut that required surgery. Smith was arrested in the property and was jailed in Antrim County until he was transported to Livingston County.
No additional details were released this morning.
Beard and Smith have two children together, but the children were not in any danger, police said.
Comments
LMR1023
Tue, Jan 5, 2010 : 2:55 p.m.
I went to High School with both of them. 5 years ago, I never would have imagined him jumping off the deep end like that, but after what happened in December, anything was possible. He cracked a few of her ribs, busted the orbit around her eye and it was over her wanting to end things. The severe cut was like 4 inches deep and almost twice as long. I didn't hang out with her, but we live in a small town and I know she works really hard to be a good mom to her kids and in high school, was always very nice to everyone. No one deserves what happened to her. He's facing up to life in prison for the charges he was arraigned for Monday and deserves every day of it.
Captain Magnificent
Tue, Jan 5, 2010 : 1:52 p.m.
@pegret: the Livingston Daily article also mentions the name of the victim multiple times. Granted, there's no picture on the Livingston Daily article but a simple google search for her name displays a picture, as well as a link to an article from WWJ (950 AM) that uses the same picture as the Annarbor.com article. http://www.wwj.com/Brighton-Area-Woman-Missing/6019110
Captain Magnificent
Tue, Jan 5, 2010 : 1:44 p.m.
Now that the use of the term "couple" has been brought to a swift and equitable resolution I propose that we move on to debating the use of "father of her children" to refer to Brandon Smith. I feel it would have been more fitting to use the widely accepted alternative term "baby daddy" in this situation as it conveys the same meaning in half the words and letters of "father of her children". Furthermore, "father of her children" is an outdated term and it's use in contemporary print or conversation has largely been usurped by the more modern term "baby daddy".
pegret
Tue, Jan 5, 2010 : 1:39 p.m.
According to the Livingston Daily article, this was an extremely violent crime. Due to the nature of this crime, why is the victim's name and picture published?
Atticus F.
Tue, Jan 5, 2010 : 11:09 a.m.
Macabre, the point I was trying to make is that everybody is entitled to due process. And I know that child custody issues can be extremely thonry, and some parents will say and do anything to keep their kids away from an ex out of spite. Thats why we need an impartial party to mediate, as apposed to taking one parents word for it. As far as this particular case goes, I dont know all of the details. For all I know, it could have been a fight at a vacation home during the holiday, that escalated to a domestic issue, that escalated to him refusing to give her a ride, that escalated to kidnapping charges. I dont know all of the details, or if he has a criminal history or history of violence, or if he's truely a danger to his kids. But I think there should be a little more thought put into it before we speak of taking peoples children away.
Macabre Sunset
Mon, Jan 4, 2010 : 8:10 p.m.
Seems like quite the straw man, Atticus. Personally, I would be all for relieving some woman of custody if she kidnapped and was violent toward her child's father.
Atticus F.
Mon, Jan 4, 2010 : 3:02 p.m.
aaparent, like it or not, there needs to be some burden of proof before the state goes snatching children away from their parents. How many parents do you know that would intentionaly hurt their children? I dont know all of the details of the relationship or the case. But I believe there should be due process before anybody loses custody of their children. I just get the sense these kind of comments are acceptable, when we are speaking of taking away custody from a father. But are unacceptable if we are speaking of taking away custody from a mother.
Macabre Sunset
Mon, Jan 4, 2010 : 1:16 p.m.
I don't think custody matters now. If this story is true, it's doubtful Smith will ever be released from prison - even in Michigan's revolving door judicial system. I hope the prosecutors are willing to press for the maximum instead of settling for a deal. This clown sounds truly dangerous.
aaparent
Mon, Jan 4, 2010 : 11:19 a.m.
treetowncartel -- thanks for the information. I would hope that the court would afford the children extra protection if visitation is a part of the agreement. I have known of a few situation where the burden is on the ex-spouse to prove that the biological parent is a threat to the kids if nothing has happened directly to the kids in the past despite abuse or harm to a mother.
treetowncartel
Mon, Jan 4, 2010 : 11:14 a.m.
@ aaparent, the standard for getting custody, sole or joint, legal or physical, in Michigan, as in most states, is the best interest of the children. Doubtful that a probate judge would award custody, but you never know. The state can also terminate parental rights.
treetowncartel
Mon, Jan 4, 2010 : 11:11 a.m.
So, when I have a couple of beers it is only two that have associated with each other? Any idea of whether anyone saw him abduct her from the Olive Garden?
aaparent
Mon, Jan 4, 2010 : 11:06 a.m.
Amalie-Thanks for changing the wording. It's a relief Ms. Beard is safe now. Do you know if Ms. Beard has sole custody of the children? Could you find out what happens in a domestic violence situation like this when an ex-spouse or ex-partner who is a biological father is a threat in terms of visitation rights with the kids?
Mark
Mon, Jan 4, 2010 : 10:37 a.m.
Dictionary definitions aside, when you use the word "couple" in a news story about two people who have children together, the obvious inference is that they are indeed still a "couple."
Steve in MI
Mon, Jan 4, 2010 : 10:35 a.m.
@fjord: the use of the term "couple" to describe a kidnapper/attacker and his victim is both distasteful and inappropriate. @Amalie: the choice of words in the article is incorrect and misleading. Police found "the two" on the property, but there is no "couple" in this story. A retraction and restatement would be more appropriate here than defending a poor choice of words.