Mountain Home, Ar. – A Mountain Home teen has been recovered safe and her kidnapper arrested following a more than 40 day search.
A 14-year old girl went missing on Thursday, May 12 around 3 p.m. from the 1300 block of College Street in Mountain Home. Her mother notified police that she did not get on the bus to come home after school and believed she had been picked up by Isaac Melder, age 40 of Yellville, Ar.
On June 22, 2022, officers with the Mountain Home Police Department, The Department of Corrections Dog Team, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, searched an area in rural Marion County and discovered the juvenile and Melder living in a cave.
Melder was arrested and charged with the following:
- Class Y Felony Kidnapping
- Class Y Felony Internet Stalking of a Child
- Class C Felony Interference with Custody
- Class D Felony Sexual Indecency with a Child
Melder was booked into Baxter County Jail with a bond of $1,000,000. Additional charges may be filed in other jurisdictions.
During this investigation virtually every local and state law enforcement agency in this region assisted in the investigation. In addition, the FBI and U.S. Marshall Service assisted. Mountain Home Police Department would like to say “Thank You” to all involved, it was truly a joint effort with great collaboration which led to a positive outcome.
