Police: Anderson woman, three children kidnapped and found out of state

ANDERSON (WISH) — An Anderson woman and her three children are safe after police say they were kidnapped and taken almost 700 miles away from home to Minnesota.

The woman told police her estranged husband broke into her home, killed a man in the basement, and then forced the family to go with him.

It happened in the 2100 block of Lafayette Street.

The Anderson Police Department identified the victim as Cody Gay, 25, from Indianapolis. Police said they’re still trying to figure out his relationship with the woman and the man accused of killing him.

Hermantown (Minnesota) Police arrested the suspect in Minnesota after his wife escaped.

Mark Emerson, 26, is waiting to go back to Indiana Tuesday night after spending Father’s Day hundreds of miles away from home.

“There is no sense in that, in kidnapping your own kids and your wife,” said Virginia Montague, neighbor.

Police said Emerson kidnapped his wife, their 1-year-old daughter, and her twin 3-year-old girls after stabbing Gay. They were all headed to Canada when police said Emerson made a pit stop at a Walmart in Hermantown.

“The young gal showed tremendous courage in fleeing from the vehicle at the opportunity she was given knowing that her children were still in the custody of this individual,” said deputy chief Shawn Padden, Hermantown Police Department.

Police said the mother of three ran to a nearby dealership asking for help.

“She came in and asked if she use our phone, I let her use mine and I asked the number she had to call because we had to dial nine to (dial) out,” said Kole Honer, Kolar Hyundai. “She said 911 and I was a little caught off guard, I heard her story and was kind of like ‘whoa, wow!’”

Emerson’s wife later told detectives her estranged husband broke into the house got into a fight with Gay and stabbed him. At this time, it’s still unclear what the two had been arguing about.

“During the execution of a search warrant at that location, they did locate the body of the victim near a stairwell,” said Sgt. Chad Boynton, Anderson Police Department.

Virginia Montague lives across the street from the crime scene.

“They were kind of shy people. They didn’t interact with many people,” said Montague.

She said she never had any problems with the family.

“I just told her I see the kids out and I said ‘you can let your kids come over and play with my grandkids if you want to sometime,’” said Montague.

Being a grandmother, Montague told 24-Hour News 8 her main concern now is for the well-being of the children involved.

“I’d tell you, if I was the grandmother to them, I would have taken them away if I know everything I found out now,” said Montague.

Police said Emerson was arrested in April for several charges, including criminal confinement, intimidation, strangulation, and domestic battery.

Emerson is being held on kidnapping charges and for violating a protective order.

Anderson police said they will issue a warrant for Emerson’s arrest, where he’ll face preliminary murder charges.