Osage Beach woman arrested after allegedly kidnapping child

CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo. — An Osage Beach woman is in jail after going to some trouble to avoid law enforcement and keep a child from their parents.

A probable cause statement from the Camden County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) says the child's parents asked Melissa Lynn Walker to watch the child. Walker picked up the child on Dec. 14, 2024 and was to stay with her until Dec. 19.

Due to a conflict, the parents couldn't pick the child up on the appointed day, and arranged to pick them up the following day, documents state. The parents were involved in a domestic disturbance in Dallas County that further delayed pickup but spoke with Walker and made arrangements to pick up the child on Dec. 21.

Documents say the parents reached out to Walker as early as 6 a.m. on the 21st, communicating when the parents would be picking up the child. Walker responded to messages saying the child "...should just stay with her" and to call. Documents say Walker didn't answer the phone when the parents attempted to call, and had since not had any contact with them.

Deputies, along with the Missouri Department of Social Services Children's Division, attempted to contact with Walker at her residence in Osage Beach but were unable to locate her. CCSO attempts to reach Walker via phone went directly to voicemail, documents say, leading deputies to believe her phone had been shut off.

CCSO contacted the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) and entered the child and Walker as endangered missing persons, documents say, and a ping was started on Walker's phone.

According to documents, Walker was at her workplace, despite not being scheduled to work that week. When deputies arrived at her location and arrested her, documents say they smelled intoxicants on Walker's person.

Court records show Walker is charged with third-degree kidnapping and is being held in the Camden County Jail on a $150,000 bond. She's due in court later today, Dec. 23, 2024.