More information is being uncovered about the alleged legal problems of Paislee Shultis' father, which may shed some light on why the child was taken from her biological parents.
Paislee's father, Kirk Shultis Jr., 32, was arrested in April 2019 for methamphetamines in North Carolina, according to online documents.
It has also been discovered that Shultis was arrested in 2018 for home improvement fraud by the Athens Township Police Department in Pennsylvania, according to the Bradford County District Attorney's Office. The area is on the New York/Pennsylvania border. Shultis pleaded guilty to the first-degree misdemeanor in 2019 and served two months in Bradford County Correctional Facility.
The Bradford County District Attorney's Office tells News 12 that it had difficulty with Shultis during its involvement with him. In September 2019, it moved to revoke his bail after the bondsman indicated he was not complying with the terms. In June 2021, the DA's office petitioned to revoke his parole - alleging he had not complied with drug and alcohol testing. During both instances, he eventually complied and the petitions were dismissed.
Police say Shultis and his wife Kimberly abducted their 4-year-old daughter after losing custody of her and her older sister in 2019. She was found Monday in the Saugerties home of Kirk Shultis Sr.
Both of the parents and the child's grandfather are facing criminal charges after the 6-year-old was found alive by police hidden inside a makeshift crawlspace beneath a stairwell.
Kirk Shultis Jr. and Kirk Shultis Sr. had brief court appearances Wednesday to put attorneys on record and were served with restraining orders while the case is now under grand jury review. They were ushered into Saugerties Town Court Wednesday without saying a word.
Paisley's mother was bailed out of Ulster County Jail midday and arrived late. She was initially kept on bail because of an open arrest warrant. Police wouldn't disclose what that was about, but Saugerties Police Chief Joseph Sinagra told News 12 that the excuse police were repeatedly told when they went to the home was that Paislee hadn't been seen and was believed to be out of state with her mother. That prompted a warrant for an arrest in family court.