Former Ohio school superintendent accused of kidnapping 2 kids in West Virginia
William J. Morrison III, 59, of Huntington, West Virginia, lured the children by offering them money to babysit, police said.
Aug. 31, 2022, 6:21 AM PDT
By Elisha Fieldstadt
A former Ohio school superintendent is accused of kidnapping two children in West Virginia, police said.
William J. Morrison III, 59, of Huntington, was arrested Thursday and charged with two felony counts of kidnapping, according to authorities.
About a week earlier, officials with the Huntington Police Department had asked the public to help them find a man who lured a 9-year-old boy and 12-year-old girl into his dark-colored Subaru Forester.
Morrison enticed the kids by offering them $20 to babysit, according to police. He drove a bit and then asked the boy to inspect a tire, and when the boy got out, Morrison drove off with the girl.
"The man ignored the girl’s demands to be let out of the vehicle, but the girl was able to open a passenger door and exit the vehicle a few blocks away," police said. Neither child was injured.
Morrison was superintendent of the Hamilton Local School District in 2017 when he was arrested on drug charges, according to NBC affiliate WCMH of Columbus. Police found a crack pipe and a suspected crack rock in his car, the news station reported, citing court documents. Morrison pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drug charge and was later fired, according to The Associated Press.
He is being held without bond at the Western Regional Jail in connection with the latest incident, AP reported. It's unclear if he has an attorney.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/former-ohio-school-superintendent-accused-kidnapping-2-kids-west-virgi-rcna45616