The father who falsely reported his daughter’s abduction has been formally charged.
According to the criminal complaint, James Murdock reported to police that his 4-year-old daughter had been abducted on Tuesday. He said he left the car running to warm up with the daughter inside, and someone stole the car with her in it.
Police prepared a statewide amber alert and notified media outlets that a girl had been abducted.
Police found the car abandoned later that day, and Murdock admitted he lied to police. The car was stolen, and according to the criminal complaint, he lied to police to “get something done about his car being stolen.”
Murdock has been charged with obstructing an officer and faces up to nine months in jail and a $10,000 fine if convicted.
