Woman charged in connection with Mullis case surrenders
MUNCIE, Ind. — A former Muncie resident accused of kidnapping the child of a long-missing local woman this week surrendered at the Delaware County jail.
Sheila L. York, 66 — who now lives in North Carolina — was charged in January, in Delaware Circuit Court 4, with kidnapping and obstruction of justice.
She was arrested Feb. 8 in North Carolina, but was later released after posting bond in that state.
According to Jeff Stanley, chief deputy of the Delaware County Sheriff's Department, York surrendered Wednesday at the Delaware County jail. She was booked in at the jail and then was again released after posting a $10,000 bond.
York is accused of kidnapping the daughter of Ashley Morris Mullis, a 27-year-old mother of three who was last seen by friends and family members in September 2013.
More:Woman charged with kidnapping released on bond in North Carolina
Mullis' youngest child, a daughter, was a baby when her mother disappeared.
The child's father was purportedly Sheila York's husband, Daniel. The child was with the Yorks in the wake of her mother's disappearnce.
Daniel York, described by investigators as a suspect in Mullis' disappearance, died in Florida in 2015.
Sheila York later adopted the child in Florida. According to local prosecutors, she provided authorities in that state with false information concerning Mullis and the missing woman's family while pursuing the adoption.
She also contested efforts by Mullis' parents to be able to visit their granddaughter.
An initial hearing on the local charges against York is set for March 27. Court records reflect she has retained the services of three attorneys — Kelly Bryan of Muncie and Fishers lawyers Russell Cate and Sundeep Singh.
Kidnapping is a Level 5 felony carrying up to six years in prison, while obstruction of justice is a Level 6 felony with a maximum 30-month sentence.
The grandparents have also filed a legal action seeking emergency custody of the child.
Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Ex-local woman charged with kidnapping, obstruction surrenders
