Three from Hagerstown arrested in custody-related kidnapping case

This post was provided by News Now Warsaw

By Jackie Gorski
Times-Union

WARSAW — A Hagerstown woman and her parents were arrested and accused of kidnapping a child.

Jennifer Lynn Mullin, 40, Hagerstown, is charged with aiding, inducing or causing kidnapping, a level 5 felony; aiding, inducing or causing criminal confinement, a level 5 felony; and aiding, inducing or causing interference with custody, a class B misdemeanor.

Her parents, 66-year-olds Anna Mae Mullin and Timothy Lee Mullin Sr., both of Hagerstown, face similar charges.

Jennifer was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail on Thursday with a $35,250 preliminary bond. Timothy and Anna were both booked on Friday with the same bonds.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Jennifer moved in with her parents in Wayne County, taking the child with her. She then refused to bring the child to Kosciusko County for visits, and the father was going to Wayne County to see the child or communicate with via an iPad.

Jennifer cut off the man’s contact with the child.

On Oct. 31, 2024, the man filed a paternity action in court, asking to establish paternity, joint legal custody, and child support. Jennifer was asked to undergo a psychological or parenting evaluation. She refused to undergo the evaluation.

On Sept. 25, 2024, the Warsaw Police Department received a report of potential child pornography from Jennifer. She said she believed there were recording devices in her home she didn’t put there. She said the father of the child was sexually abusive to the child. She said the father “lured” the child into a bathroom while she was vacuuming. She said she was concerned and found the child in the bathroom, fully clothed.

Jennifer said a relative of the child’s father might be involved in the recording. She was asked to return on Sept. 26, 2024, to show evidence of the wrongdoing, but she didn’t come back.

Jennifer told an officer she didn’t come back because she lost track of time. She also said she believed the child’s father was listening on her conversation with Anna.

Jennifer went to the WPD and provided videos that allegedly showed the father of the child abusing the child. Police saw the videos didn’t show evidence of sexual assault.

Jennifer told an officer a video showed the child and the child’s father having sex. Upon review of the video, the father didn’t appear to be having sex, according to court records. Jennifer said that was because the camera was covered. She added that there was a woman in the video. The officer did not see any woman in the video. A woman’s voice appeared on another video that Jennifer presented as evidence, but the officer heard a voice that sounded like Jennifer’s and another that sounded like the father of the child having a conversation.

A Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office detective spoke with the father of the child. He said he had seen the videos, and the woman’s voice was Jennifer’s. He also said he believes the day after the video was taken, Jennifer left with the child and began interfering with his access to them, according to court documents.

The detective spoke with Timothy, who said the voice in the video sounded like Jennifer, but said the video was “hacked” and tampered with. The detective reviewed the videos and saw that one was actually several merged together.

As of July 15, Jennifer hadn’t provided the original video data, but did tell her father by jail phone call that she had the video.

Jennifer failed to show for a custody hearing on April 14.

On April 16, the court ordered that custody be awarded to the father of the child until further notice. On June 4, Jennifer showed up for a custody hearing, but didn’t bring the child. She said the child was with Anna in another county. Jennifer was found in contempt of court for not bringing the child. Jennifer was then vague about the child’s whereabouts.

Anna said she left her residence that day with the child, with Timothy telling authorities that he hadn’t seen his wife and the child since June 4 and didn’t know where they were.

On June 5, 2025, the child’s father went to the Mullins’ home to get the child, but was told by Timothy that he didn’t know where the child or Anna were. It was later discovered that he had knowledge of where the two were or had been talking with Anna.

Timothy had told the detective that a credit card statement on June 5 reflected a purchase made at a store, a day after Anna had left with the child. Timothy refused to give the updated credit card statement to the police.

During a jail call between Jennifer and Timothy on June 25, Jennifer told Timothy if anything happens to Anna and the child that Anna will reach out to Timothy and he won’t be able to answer the call when it comes.

On July 10, Timothy stated he has a phone he uses to communicate with his daughter and other family members.

He said his wife had left her phone at their home when she left and he didn’t believe she had another phone. He also said Anna hadn’t used the credit card since June 5 and she had no transportation.

Timothy also said Anna didn’t have access to bank accounts or money.

Timothy said he didn’t report the truck to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, but they located it and questioned him about it. Timothy said he didn’t report Anna or the child missing because he believes they are together and not in danger.

Also on July 10, Timothy said he’d communicated with other family members about the situation and stated some people were assisting his wife with hiding the child.

He told a detective his phone was in his SUV and refused to let police search it. After getting a search warrant, police retrieved the phone, along with receipts in the truck for two phones.

Timothy told a detective he didn’t call Anna about the results of the custody case. The detective asked why Anna would leave with the child if she didn’t know Jennifer no longer had custody and Timothy said Anna must have sensed it.

On July 11, Jennifer told Timothy to take down his camera, disconnect the internet, power down the house, factory reset the phone or throw it away and take all of the computer stuff to the dumpster.

The detective obtained video footage from the store and found out that Timothy bought the phones on June 13.

The detective got the phone numbers on July 14 and found the phone was originally activated in Hagerstown. It was used 43 times and had been used to contact a relative of Anna’s. The one Timothy had also was used to contact the relative.

Using the phone information, police learned Anna and the child may be in Indianapolis.

Police went to an Indianapolis residence where they found the child and Anna Mullin. The detective learned a friend of the Mullins had thrown away the phone at a campground at the request of Anna.

The post Three from Hagerstown arrested in custody-related kidnapping case appeared first on News Now Warsaw.