ST. JOSEPH, Ill. — A Champaign County sheriff’s deputy was the person who spotted a 6-month-old baby, missing for more than 15 hours, in a muddy bean field where she’d been exposed to sun, water, mosquitoes and coyotes.
Thomas A Boitnott, 23, of St Joseph was arrested at 8:15 p.m. Thursday, June 11, 2015 near 1900 CR 2100E, rural St Joseph, for Kidnapping, Attempted Murder and Motor Vehicle Theft.
The Champaign County Sheriff’s Office initiated the investigation on June 11th at about 11:05 a.m. Kayla A Reifsteck reported that the biological father and suspect, Thomas A Boitnott removed their daughter, Karma A Boitnott from her custody without permission. Thomas Boitnott left in a 2005 Hyundai SUV belonging to Reifsteck.
Investigative information provided to deputies and detectives did not give any indication that Thomas Boitnott made any threats to harm himself, or the child, prior to leaving and there was no reason to believe that Boitnott would harm himself or the child at the time of the initial report.
On June 11 at about 4:25 p.m. an area resident reported that there was a light blue Hyundai (Lic/JUDYR63) abandoned alongside the road on 2300N near County Road 1900E (rural St. Joseph) unoccupied. Deputies seized the car and began an area search for Thomas and Karma Boitnott.
On June 11, at about 8:00 p.m. another area resident reported that a white male, ultimately determined to be Thomas A Boitnott, was walking alone down the road in the area of 2050 County Road 1950N, St. Joesph.
After the arrest of Boitnott, the area search for Karma Boitnott intensified and an airplane from the Illinois State Police was dispatched to assist deputies in the searching process. The air and ground search, which included all of the Sheriff’s K-9 members, was unsuccessful and was nearly called for the night due to darkness and difficult searching conditions about midnight.
During the course of the investigation detective were able to obtain some information about the possible location of Karma Boitnott and the search resumed in the area of 2300 County Road 1950E. On June 12, 2015 at about 1:47 a.m. while working off of rough information obtained from Thomas Boitnott, infant Karma Boitnott was located laying in a bean field about 200 yards south of County Road 2300N about ½ mile east of the intersection with 1900E. Karma Boitnott was alive and responsive when located by Deputy Chad Beasley. She was transported to a local hospital where she was reunited with her mother and relatives.
