This story is one of the more disturbing cases to me, I have a hard time when it comes to stories that involve children. Being a mother of two girls, and one that is the same age as Acacia when she went missing has made this even harder.
This is going to get a little messy as the details are a bit confusing in some parts, but here we go.
Acacia was abducted by her grandmother, 38-year-old Kelley Jean Lodmell, from her great-grandparents’ Salt Lake City, Utah home at 6:00 p.m. on May 25, 2003. At the time of her disappearance Acacia was 19 months old.
According to Charleyproject.org — Lodmell had previously taken Acacia without permission and hid her in a basement, and she was on supervised visitation with the baby when she abducted her in May 2003. Lodmell took Acacia when Acacia’s great-grandmother, left the room to put the vacuum away.
According to witnesses, Kelley headed to Idaho with Acacia, they were last seen together in Idaho Falls, Idaho on May 26, close to the Broadway overpass and green belt, next to the Snake River.
That same day, Lodmell went to a hydroelectric plant near the overpass and told employees there that she had accidentally dropped Acacia into the river while they were dangling their feet off the bridge. The plant was immediately shut down, so Acacia would not get sucked into its turbines.
Divers searched the river for several days, she was never located. The only evidence that was located was a pair of baby shoes and a doll.
Authorities believe that Acacia drowned in the river, however they don’t feel it was an accident by any means. They believe this was a failed mu*rder/suicide by Lodmell. While some of Acacia’s family believes it was an elaborate ruse and that Acacia was given to another family to raise.
Lodmell was soaking wet when she ran to the power plant for help, and the police believe she intentionally jumped in the water with Acacia in her arms in a mu*rder/suicide attempt. She admitted this to authorities and was charged with kidnapping and mur*dering Acacia. She stated that she believed the baby made it out of the water and is still alive somewhere. Remember, Acacia was just 19 months old when this happened.
The Snake River is a major river of the Pacific Northwest in the US. At 1,078 miles long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, in turn the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean.
Lodmell has a criminal record; she has been charged with many petty offenses including drunk driving, threats with a dangerous weapon, and disorderly conduct. Her most serious offense was aggravated assault; she served sixty days in jail for shooting a child with a pellet gun.
Two witnesses saw the Acacia and her grandmother at the Red Lion Hotel. Another witness saw them at the park where Lodmell told investigators she jumped into the water with Acacia, and a fourth witness spotted them somewhere between the hotel and park, Hunt said.
But police have yet to find Acacia. Divers and dogs continued searching the river Wednesday near the power plant where Acacia is believed to have gone into the river. The search was expected to resume Thursday morning. Family members plan to continue searching neighborhoods and passing out missing posters.
Lodmell was tried for kidnapping in federal court. In January 2005, a judge acquitted her, ruling that she was insane at the time of her crime. The judge decided Lodmell was delusional when she abducted Acacia and believed the baby was in an abusive situation, and she had a duty to save her.
Lodmell was determined to be a danger to the community, based on her mental illness, past criminal behavior, and history of violence and substance abuse. She was committed to a mental hospital for an indefinite period. She may be released from the hospital at a later date if psychiatrists determine she is no longer dangerous, but her prognosis is poor, as she has repeatedly refused to follow through with treatment programs for her schizophrenia and does not even believe she is mentally ill. She will likely never be released.
Acacia’s parents have done a few interviews where they have said they believe that their daughter is still alive and that someone has her. Lodmell has sent her parents a letter telling them that Acacia is alive, in her letters she never refers to Acacia in the past tense. Prior to the alleged drowning, Lodmell had purchased diapers and milk for Acacia. If she had planned to mur*der her, why would she buy supplies for her?
It has been nearly 18 years since Acacia has disappeared and her parents still have no answers. Is she truly dead or did someone take her in and raise her? Was she sold for child trafficking?
If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Acacia Bishop, please call Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office at 801–743–7000.
