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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]Citizen.com - Laconia NH, Dover NH, Rochester NH, Portsmouth NH, Sanford ME
Hunter finds man, missing child
MILTON — A near two-day hunt for a Sanford, Maine man who abducted his daughter ended when a hunter discovered her unharmed and convinced her father to come out of hiding in the woods off Route 153 Tuesday afternoon.
Mike Grant Jr., 38, was running late and headed to his usual hunting spot down a dirt road to an undeveloped parcel of land where, he said, he wanted to relieve the stress of daily life. He chose that spot by chance, rather than others he frequents.
He was hunting deer, but found something bigger when he came across the green Dodge pickup truck he had heard so much about the past two days.
Police in three states were searching for Gary Traynham, 38, who they say abducted 2-year-old Hailey from her mother's home in Sanford, Maine. Hailey was the subject of Maine's first Amber Alert. Grant had heard the alert and knew when he came upon the vehicle what he had found.
"I knew what it was when I saw her stand up in her seat," he said.
Grant calmly walked up to the car and started a conversation with Gary Traynham. Though he carried a firearm with him for hunting, he never had to raise it, as it was quickly apparent that Traynham was ready to give up his brief life on the run.
"He started crying right away," Grant said. He and Traynham talked about life for about an hour. Grant said Traynham was unarmed and hiding in that spot since before daylight broke Tuesday. He was nearly out of money, out of gas and had nowhere to go. Grant learned Traynham has a 13-year-old child, was married once and Hailey's mother was his girlfriend. Traynham's face was also scratched up, indicating to Grant that he had been involved in some sort of family dispute.
While they talked, Hailey played with her father's cell phone, which was missing its battery that had died. Grant said they seemed fairly comfortable; Hailey was talkative, cried a bit and asked for her mother, he said.
As he listened to Traynham speak about his life, police helicopters flew over their location a couple times, apparently unaware their suspect had been located. He also managed to convince him to come out of hiding for the good of himself and his daughter.
"I told him to be a man about it," Grant said, telling Traynham, "I can't let you leave."
Grant dismissed claims that some would consider him a hero, but his family chimed in their support as he explained the day's events near a wood pile outside his residence in Milton. "He's awesome," 13-year-old David said as he jumped up and down. His older sister, Amanda, 15, agreed and said she was happy that Hailey was safe. When asked if it made her proud, Grant's wife Donna said, "I'm proud of him anyway."
Grant said police joked with him that he might have a career as a police negotiator. In reality, he works in building facilities.
After convincing Traynham to leave his truck, Grant drove him down the road to a home on Route 153. They went to the home of retired Wakefield Police Chief Timothy Merrill, who Grant knew through hunting education courses. The locale gave Hailey a chance to play with Merrill's young grandsons while the adults made calls to police.
Federal, state and local authorities then converged on the residence, where they quickly took Traynham into custody. The lights from cruisers were the only illumination on the road, which had no street lights. Many cars drove by the scene, sometimes twice, and occupants could be seen craning their necks to determine why a convoy of cruisers was parked along the road.
Hailey's family members also arrived at the scene, including aunt and uncle Raylene and Ron Gould of East Wakefield. They said they were simply relieved that she was safe. "Thank goodness for the Amber Alert, because it works," Raylene Gould said.
After speaking with people inside the home for a couple of hours, an unmarked vehicle with flashing blue lights pulled up to the front door. Hailey was seen quickly escorted into the vehicle. Milton Police Chief Mark McGowan said EMTs briefly checked on her in the house, determined she was OK and had her transported to Sanford Police.
Once police cleared the residence, they turned their attention to the green Dodge pickup that had attracted so many people's attention during the search. Police, Grant and a tow truck went down the dirt road and stayed there around 15 minutes. Reporters were denied access as police were considering it a crime scene for the time being, but the tow truck eventually emerged carrying the pickup, which was transported to State Police Troop A barracks in Epping.
Merrill said that while he was not expecting so much action at his home now that he's retired, "they can come to my house anytime" if it results in the safe return of a young girl to her mother. He commended Grant and also said the entire incident was a "great advertisement for Amber Alert."
The Amber Alert went into effect Monday afternoon when it was broadcast over an emergency television channel. Signs of the alert were visible everywhere, from the state, local and federal authorities positioned along Route 11 Tuesday to the electronic construction signs that displayed messages about the green Dodge's license plate number.
Cruisers were stationed as far south as the state liquor store in Farmington up to the Alton traffic circle.
In the Lakes Region local police, coordinated through the Belknap County Sheriff's Office, assisted in the seach.
Helping in Maine's first Amber Alert, Lt. Dave Perkins said his office sent a number of Sheriff Department's deputies to Barnstead to help the Maine and N.H. State Police who traced a cell phone to that area.
"He made a phone call and it triggered a tower in the Lakes Region," said Perkins.
The Sheriff's Department also coordinated the efforts of a few local police departments in Belknap County including Gilford and Barnstead.
Perkins said police set up watches or traffic observation posts along the roads in the area and said the state police were out in force in southern Belknap County.
After a police radio broadcast indicated the FBI had information Traynham might have a pilot's license, police in Rochester increased patrols around Skyhaven Airport, Lt. Paul Toussaint said.
McGowan said Traynham is being held at Strafford County jail on a felony fugitive from justice charge. He is to be arraigned in Rochester District Court on Thursday. Warrants out of Maine indicate he is wanted on charges of gross sexual assault and burglary, McGowan said.
Traynham and Hailey's mother were ending their relationship and he allegedly assaulted her in her Sanford home Monday morning. He then allegedly took his daughter and led police on the two-day manhunt, which featured officers investigating each possible sighting and even employing helicopters to search.
McGowan echoed the statements of others when he said that Grant "deserves a lot of credit" for his efforts. He also said the end result shows the Amber Alert system works. Bringing Hailey to Merrill's home was a good idea because it made her more comfortable, he said.
Officers in Milton had received some information about green Dodge sightings, as many area police departments did in the past 48 hours. McGowan said there was nothing concrete indicating Traynham was in his town, but added he was not surprised and that these things do happen from time to time.
He could not comment on whether Traynham made any statements to police about why he took his daughter and fled.
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Citizen Staff Writer Gail Ober contributed to this report.
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Hunter finds man, missing child
MILTON — A near two-day hunt for a Sanford, Maine man who abducted his daughter ended when a hunter discovered her unharmed and convinced her father to come out of hiding in the woods off Route 153 Tuesday afternoon.
Mike Grant Jr., 38, was running late and headed to his usual hunting spot down a dirt road to an undeveloped parcel of land where, he said, he wanted to relieve the stress of daily life. He chose that spot by chance, rather than others he frequents.
He was hunting deer, but found something bigger when he came across the green Dodge pickup truck he had heard so much about the past two days.
Police in three states were searching for Gary Traynham, 38, who they say abducted 2-year-old Hailey from her mother's home in Sanford, Maine. Hailey was the subject of Maine's first Amber Alert. Grant had heard the alert and knew when he came upon the vehicle what he had found.
"I knew what it was when I saw her stand up in her seat," he said.
Grant calmly walked up to the car and started a conversation with Gary Traynham. Though he carried a firearm with him for hunting, he never had to raise it, as it was quickly apparent that Traynham was ready to give up his brief life on the run.
"He started crying right away," Grant said. He and Traynham talked about life for about an hour. Grant said Traynham was unarmed and hiding in that spot since before daylight broke Tuesday. He was nearly out of money, out of gas and had nowhere to go. Grant learned Traynham has a 13-year-old child, was married once and Hailey's mother was his girlfriend. Traynham's face was also scratched up, indicating to Grant that he had been involved in some sort of family dispute.
While they talked, Hailey played with her father's cell phone, which was missing its battery that had died. Grant said they seemed fairly comfortable; Hailey was talkative, cried a bit and asked for her mother, he said.
As he listened to Traynham speak about his life, police helicopters flew over their location a couple times, apparently unaware their suspect had been located. He also managed to convince him to come out of hiding for the good of himself and his daughter.
"I told him to be a man about it," Grant said, telling Traynham, "I can't let you leave."
Grant dismissed claims that some would consider him a hero, but his family chimed in their support as he explained the day's events near a wood pile outside his residence in Milton. "He's awesome," 13-year-old David said as he jumped up and down. His older sister, Amanda, 15, agreed and said she was happy that Hailey was safe. When asked if it made her proud, Grant's wife Donna said, "I'm proud of him anyway."
Grant said police joked with him that he might have a career as a police negotiator. In reality, he works in building facilities.
After convincing Traynham to leave his truck, Grant drove him down the road to a home on Route 153. They went to the home of retired Wakefield Police Chief Timothy Merrill, who Grant knew through hunting education courses. The locale gave Hailey a chance to play with Merrill's young grandsons while the adults made calls to police.
Federal, state and local authorities then converged on the residence, where they quickly took Traynham into custody. The lights from cruisers were the only illumination on the road, which had no street lights. Many cars drove by the scene, sometimes twice, and occupants could be seen craning their necks to determine why a convoy of cruisers was parked along the road.
Hailey's family members also arrived at the scene, including aunt and uncle Raylene and Ron Gould of East Wakefield. They said they were simply relieved that she was safe. "Thank goodness for the Amber Alert, because it works," Raylene Gould said.
After speaking with people inside the home for a couple of hours, an unmarked vehicle with flashing blue lights pulled up to the front door. Hailey was seen quickly escorted into the vehicle. Milton Police Chief Mark McGowan said EMTs briefly checked on her in the house, determined she was OK and had her transported to Sanford Police.
Once police cleared the residence, they turned their attention to the green Dodge pickup that had attracted so many people's attention during the search. Police, Grant and a tow truck went down the dirt road and stayed there around 15 minutes. Reporters were denied access as police were considering it a crime scene for the time being, but the tow truck eventually emerged carrying the pickup, which was transported to State Police Troop A barracks in Epping.
Merrill said that while he was not expecting so much action at his home now that he's retired, "they can come to my house anytime" if it results in the safe return of a young girl to her mother. He commended Grant and also said the entire incident was a "great advertisement for Amber Alert."
The Amber Alert went into effect Monday afternoon when it was broadcast over an emergency television channel. Signs of the alert were visible everywhere, from the state, local and federal authorities positioned along Route 11 Tuesday to the electronic construction signs that displayed messages about the green Dodge's license plate number.
Cruisers were stationed as far south as the state liquor store in Farmington up to the Alton traffic circle.
In the Lakes Region local police, coordinated through the Belknap County Sheriff's Office, assisted in the seach.
Helping in Maine's first Amber Alert, Lt. Dave Perkins said his office sent a number of Sheriff Department's deputies to Barnstead to help the Maine and N.H. State Police who traced a cell phone to that area.
"He made a phone call and it triggered a tower in the Lakes Region," said Perkins.
The Sheriff's Department also coordinated the efforts of a few local police departments in Belknap County including Gilford and Barnstead.
Perkins said police set up watches or traffic observation posts along the roads in the area and said the state police were out in force in southern Belknap County.
After a police radio broadcast indicated the FBI had information Traynham might have a pilot's license, police in Rochester increased patrols around Skyhaven Airport, Lt. Paul Toussaint said.
McGowan said Traynham is being held at Strafford County jail on a felony fugitive from justice charge. He is to be arraigned in Rochester District Court on Thursday. Warrants out of Maine indicate he is wanted on charges of gross sexual assault and burglary, McGowan said.
Traynham and Hailey's mother were ending their relationship and he allegedly assaulted her in her Sanford home Monday morning. He then allegedly took his daughter and led police on the two-day manhunt, which featured officers investigating each possible sighting and even employing helicopters to search.
McGowan echoed the statements of others when he said that Grant "deserves a lot of credit" for his efforts. He also said the end result shows the Amber Alert system works. Bringing Hailey to Merrill's home was a good idea because it made her more comfortable, he said.
Officers in Milton had received some information about green Dodge sightings, as many area police departments did in the past 48 hours. McGowan said there was nothing concrete indicating Traynham was in his town, but added he was not surprised and that these things do happen from time to time.
He could not comment on whether Traynham made any statements to police about why he took his daughter and fled.
————
Citizen Staff Writer Gail Ober contributed to this report.
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