Couple comforted kidnapped girl moments after her rescue

HAWKINS COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) – Moments after Carlie Trent was rescued by two Hawkins County men Thursday, the 9-year-old was brought to a home close to where she and Gary Simpson were found to wait for police to arrive.

Carlie was found in an isolated area, where there is no cell phone service, off of Gravely Valley Road by Donnie Lawson and Stewart Franklin.

According to neighbors, Lawson was searching his brother’s property when he discovered Carlie and Simpson.

Lawson reportedly took Carlie on an ATV to the nearest property with a landline phone in order to call authorities.

Carlie was taken to the home of Joe and Joleen Sizemore, who said they were surprised to see Lawson and Carlie in their backyard Thursday.

Joleen Sizemore said as soon as she saw Lawson pull up to her home on a four-wheeler and saw the young girl with him, she knew it was Carlie.

“I ran and grabbed the telephone,” she said. “He was yelling ‘grab the phone, we need to call 911. It’s an AMBER Alert and I found the little girl.’”

According to the Sizemores, they live in an area that is not easily accessible, adding that it would have been hard to locate Carlie and Simpson had it not been for Donnie Lawson searching his brother’s property in search of Carlie.

The couple they are happy that Carlie was found safe and said they were proud of their community for the effort they put in to bring her home.

“I told her, I said, ‘Honey, I don’t know if anyone’s ever told you about the Lord or not, but he’s been watching over you,” Joleen Sizemore said. “I’ve been praying (and) a lot of other people have, too.”