Girl missing for two years found in secret room under staircase

A young girl who has been missing for more than two years has been found by authorities in a secret room under a staircase in a New York home.

Paislee Shultis was four years old when she went missing in 2019. Police reportedly believed the girl was abducted by her non-custodial parents but were ultimately unable to locate her.

On Monday (local time), authorities in the small town of Saugerties in upstate New York received a tip that Paislee was being kept inside a local home.

According to Saugerties Police who issued a statement to local media, when authorities arrived with a search warrant, the owner of the residence denied having any knowledge of the child’s whereabouts.

The man told police he had not seen the girl since she was reported missing in 2019.

After about an hour searching the property, police discovered a small "makeshift" room, hidden underneath a staircase leading to the basement of the house.

After noticing something strange, an officer was able to shine his torchlight into the staircase and saw a small pair of feet, a police spokesperson said.

After removing the step boards of the stairs, the child and her abductor were found hiding in the dark and wet enclosure, authorities said.

Police shared images of the small, dirty space where the child was found, showing blankets, clothes and a pillow spread on the floor.

Paislee was taken to the local police station before she was later given a medical examination.

The girl's non-custodial parents Kimberly Cooper and Kirk Shultis were taken into custody, as well as the father of Shultis.

It's unclear why the couple initially lost custody of the girl.

The investigation is reportedly ongoing.

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