Pierce County caretakers who disappeared with 4 adults released from jail
Two caretakers who disappeared this week with four vulnerable adults were released Thursday from Pierce County Jail.
Pierce County prosecutors said they will not be filing charges at this time against sisters Nicole Emanuel, 46, and Jessica Newkirk, 33, and are requesting further investigation from the Sheriff’s Department.
The sisters were booked Wednesday on suspicion of kidnapping and criminal mistreatment.
“A kidnapping charge is problematic because the main caregiver, who was clearly in distress, tried to turn the adults in her care over to the state when she went to DSHS seeking help,” said Adam Faber, spokesman for the Prosecutor’s Office. “A criminal mistreatment charge requires evidence that someone was deprived the necessities of life, which the investigation at this point has not shown.”
On Monday, Emanuel and Newkirk went to the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services office in Tacoma seeking assistance. One of the sisters told state workers she was looking for a place to bring the people she was caring for because she was concerned about their safety and her own, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
Authorities say DSHS employees were unable to find new placements for the four adults and told Emanuel and Newkirk they needed to continue caring for them.
Chris Wright, a DSHS spokesman, told The News Tribune their office tried to help find a new placement for the four adults but the sisters took their clients and left during the process. He said the sisters did not leave contact information or say where they were going.
After the group failed to return to the group home in Spanaway, they were reported missing Tuesday. Family members said they had not spoken to the four vulnerable adults in at least five days.
All six were found safe Wednesday at a Tacoma hotel after one of the caretakers emailed DSHS where they were.
Emanuel and Newkirk allegedly made the adults leave their cell phones at the Spanaway home so they were unable to contact their families. The adults, who range in age from 44 to 63, had to sleep in a rented minivan for at least three nights and were unable to shower or brush their teeth, sheriff’s Sgt. Darren Moss said.
Prosecutors said they will again review charges if the investigation turns up new information.
“It is regrettable that a caregiver seeking help from DSHS was denied it, and that fact makes proving a case like this beyond a reasonable doubt problematic,” Faber said. “We are gratified to know these vulnerable adults are safe and are in new placements.”
Wright said DSHS works as quickly as possible to find new living arrangements for people who report feeling unsafe in their situation. He said the timeline for finding housing depends on each case and what options are available on short notice. The DSHS office where the group came for help does not have resources to house people at the office.
This story was originally published August 26, 2021 at 3:04 PM.
