Chief: Missing Shelbyville family staged disappearance

SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (WISH) - The disappearance of a Shelbyville family was staged, Police Chief Bill Elliott said Thursday in an exclusive interview.

24-Hour News 8 broke the news Wednesday that Robert, Debra, Joe and Zachary Guy were all found alive in Florida.

Elliott spoke exclusively with 24-Hour News 8’s Ruthanne Gordon Thursday morning.

Elliott says a search of the Guy home led them to believe their disappearance was staged and the family was not in any danger. However, there were several factors that pushed this investigation along.

Joe Guy broke his home detention monitor, the chief said. That meant he was now wanted on escape charges in Shelby County.

Detectives were working leads when they found family members in Ohio and in Georgia. But a break in the case came when officers tracked the purchase of a phone in Ohio.

Investigators monitored activity and knew they were in Ohio. But, days went by before they were able to track them again.

The next break came when they discovered they had moved from Ohio to Florida.

Shelbyville authorities contacted officers in Jasper, Fla. where the guy family was found.

A hearing for Joe Guy is expected Thursday in a Hamilton County, Florida court.

Shelbyville Police hope he waives extradition and he's back in Indiana soon.

Chief Elliott says he has more questions about why the family chose "life on the run."