Redmond, Washington — Two children who had been considered “critically missing” since December 2023 have been safely located in Virginia, bringing an end to a nearly three-year search that stretched from Washington state to the East Coast.
The children were originally reported missing in Redmond, Washington, in December 2023, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. Their whereabouts remained unknown until federal authorities were asked to assist with the case in August 2026.
The investigation eventually led authorities to the Washington, D.C., area, before the children were located safely in Virginia.
U.S. Marshals Join Search for Missing Children
The U.S. Marshals Service said it was contacted in August 2026 and asked to assist both the Redmond Police Department and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).
Investigators worked to determine where the children had been taken and where they might currently be living. The case ultimately led authorities across the country, from Washington state to the nation’s capital region.
The Marshals Service said investigators learned that the children were in the Washington, D.C., area, providing an important breakthrough in a case that had remained unresolved for years.
Authorities Say Mother Took Children After Losing Custody
According to the U.S. Marshals Service, investigators determined that the children’s mother had taken them after losing custody. Authorities said she allegedly concealed the children’s names in an effort to evade law enforcement.
The Marshals Service stated:
“It was determined that the children’s mother had taken them after losing custody and concealed their names in an attempt to evade law enforcement,”
The statement did not provide additional details about how the children’s identities were concealed or exactly where they had been living during the time they were missing.
Children Found Safe in Virginia
The search finally came to an end on Sept. 16, 2026, when authorities located the children in Virginia. Officials said the children were safely recovered and returned to their father’s custody.
The discovery marked a major development in a case that had remained open since the children were first reported missing in Redmond nearly three years earlier.
Authorities have not publicly released additional information about the circumstances surrounding the recovery, including the specific Virginia location where the children were found.
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Investigation Could Continue
Although the children have now been reunited with their father, questions remain about whether anyone will face criminal charges.
Authorities have not said whether charges were filed in connection with the children’s disappearance or their alleged removal from their father’s custody.
The U.S. Marshals Service also did not publicly detail whether additional investigative steps remain underway.
For now, the most significant outcome is that the two children have been located and returned safely to their father after years of uncertainty.
The case also highlights how missing-child investigations can extend far beyond the location where a child was initially reported missing. In this case, investigators in Washington state ultimately traced the children to the Washington, D.C., region before they were recovered in neighboring Virginia.
The children are now back in their father’s custody, bringing a long and complicated missing-person case to a major turning point.
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