Missing Florida Baby Found Alive Under Babysitter’s Bed

When seven-month-old Shannon Dedrick disappeared from her family’s home last week, apparently nabbed right from her crib, everyone feared the worst. Missing for five days, authorities were losing hope of finding Shannon alive.

But in a mysterious twist, police did find her safe and sound — tucked into a box and hidden under her babysitter’s bed.

Adding to the mystery are the players in this kidnapping drama. Susan Baker is the child’s babysitter, and she, her husband, and Shannon’s mother, Chrystina Lynn Mercer will be charged in Shannon’s disappearance. Susan Baker is also related to Shannon’s father, James Russell Dedrick Jr.

But here’s where things get really weird: In 1987, a three-year-old boy named Paul Baker disappeared from South Carolina. Investigated in that crime? One Susan Baker, who was Paul’s stepmother at the time. The boy has never been found.

Records show that Susan Baker alerted authorities to drug use and violence in Shannon Dedrick’s home, even writing a letter to Governor Charlie Crist, asking him to save the baby. But while the Florida Department of Children and Families stepped in, they found no legal grounds to take the baby away.

Did Susan Baker decide to take matters into her own hands and hide the baby with Mercer’s help? And did she do the same with Paul Baker in 1987? It’s similar a story from September, when a young boy was found hidden behind a wall in his grandmother’s home. His mother claimed to be hiding him from his abusive father.

Vigilante willing to risk it all for the love and safety of a child or kidnapper? What’s your gut tell you?

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Photo: cfnews12.com

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Tags: abduction, abuse, baby, charlie crist, florida, found, kidnapping, Shannon Dedrick