Kimberly Dell Davidson-Drolet, a 53-year-old Utah woman, is accused of kidnapping her 4-year-old daughter in January 2023 and evading law enforcement for 18 months with the help of her adult sons before finally being caught. At the time of the alleged kidnapping, Davidson-Drolet and her husband Laurence Drolet were in the midst of a divorce. After 14 months of planning, Davidson-Drolet sold her vehicle for $13,000, deposited the check into her bank account, and withdrew $16,000 three days later. She then transferred the remaining balance to her sister Kristine Merrill over the next month.
On January 23, 2023, Davidson-Drolet packed their personal belongings into duffle bags, loaded them into her son Jaxson Davidson’s truck, and drove cross-country to Missouri, leaving her personal cellphone at home and purchasing a burner phone. Merrill later told police that she destroyed Davidson-Drolet’s personal phone when she gave it to her son, Dallas Davidson. Jaxson Davidson allegedly admitted to discussing taking the child out of state, with Merrill present at the time and assisting with Davidson-Drolet’s departure. More than a year later, authorities found the now-5-year-old girl at a compound run by a religious cult leader named Paul Dean in Missouri.
Paul Dean is not charged in the kidnapping case and is involved in Native American traditions like sweat lodges. He believes that bitcoin is the solution to government instability. Davidson-Drolet allegedly used burner phones and mailed letters back home to her other children through her sister in order to conceal her whereabouts. In one letter, she mentioned feeling safe in Missouri because they don’t participate in extradition and that she and Dean were planning to flee to Thailand. Her coconspirators, including her sons Jaxson and Dallas Davidson, and her sister Merrill, have all been charged with kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
Davidson-Drolet and her accomplices used prepaid cellular phones that were rotated regularly to prevent law enforcement interception, according to the complaint filed against them. Her attorney stated that she is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Authorities discovered the child at a compound run by Paul Dean, the founder of a religious cult, who is not charged in the kidnapping case. Dean believes in Native American traditions and sees bitcoin as a solution to government instability. Davidson-Drolet and her coconspirators have been charged with kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
The case sheds light on the lengths Davidson-Drolet went to in order to evade law enforcement and conceal her whereabouts. It also highlights the involvement of her family members in assisting with the alleged kidnapping. Authorities found the now-5-year-old girl at a compound run by a religious cult leader in Missouri, where Davidson-Drolet had been living for over a year. The coconspirators, including her sons and sister, have all been charged with kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. The case remains ongoing as the legal process unfolds.
