Found Safe TN - Daphne Westbrook, 16, & dog, Chattanooga, kidnapped, 6 Oct 2019 *endangered*

[pizzaman12]

The allegations were that he kidnapped her and drugged her. If LE located her and she said that was false, she wasn't kidnapped and drugged, I think LE might file this away as one of the many, many nasty custody disputes that happen every day in this country. If there's no evidence of a crime it is not going to be a top priority for LE. Finding and evaluating the victim would be the reason for the nationwide manhunt.

He was wanted on numerous charges including aggravated kidnapping. Whether she went willingly is somewhat irrelevant given she was a minor and he didn't have custody of DW. They stated they would continue to pursue him after DW was located (now 18). I see cases all the time where people are arrested for exactly this (including ones that weren't nationwide manhunts)...Just seems odd that there hadn't been any updates on JW. Maybe he's just off the grid and they're not utilizing resources to actively search for him. From everything I see, he is still wanted. Was just hoping someone had some updates

 

[evilwise]

I guess the case "went away" when she was found safe. It's not clear that JW is still a wanted fugitive. However, the state of California considers him as missing so you could perhaps start a new thread on just him. John Oliver Westbrook

I started to assemble links to make a missing person thread for him but upon checking that link he's only listed as a suspect in Daphne's missing person case which has since been resolved and she is tacitly saying he should not be considered a suspect so that page should really be taken down. The great state of California may not agree with me.

looks like there is still a warrant out for his arrest if I understand this correctly HCSO-Criminal Investigative Division-Open Warrant Info-Warrant Detail

These are not felony warrants so nobody is going to extradite him to answer them. I'm surprised he doesn't just hire an attorney to appear for him, make sure nobody in the attorneys office is out for his blood and pay off whatever fines and court costs Tennessee thinks he owes (bitcoin keeps climbing) but he may have just decided to let sleeping dogs lie and never return to the state, which is something a lot of dads do.

I wasn't referring to a WS case. It was literally a nationwide manhunt. She shows up and they stop looking for him? Like robbing a bank, having them search for you and give up when you decide to just return the money. Not how it works.

People are not objects despite the law unfortunately treating minors kind of that way. The money can choose to leave the bank and once the money turns 18 it doesn't have to go back if it doesn't want to.

If I'm being candid, in my opinion this guy seems cool as hell. Being cool is debatable as a parenting style but every time I think of that old Toyota wagon sprayed pink she was driving it makes me smile.

 

[Shamrock1]

I’ve always wondered how true the “drugged” claim is. Maybe he provided his daughter with a joint a few times and this morphed into “drugged” and kidnapped. Obviously not stellar parenting but different from drugging someone and forcing her into a car. JMO.

 

[bears10]

@evilwise I believe the warrant for non support also includes the felony charge of aggravated kidnapping. Also based on my first link below, the nonsupport charge is also a felony

https://auburnexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/WestbrookTrueBill.pdf

Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office-Tennessee-HCSO Most Wanted

 

[evilwise]

@evilwise I believe the warrant for non support also includes the felony charge of aggravated kidnapping. Also based on my first link below, the nonsupport charge is also a felony

https://auburnexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/WestbrookTrueBill.pdf

Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office-Tennessee-HCSO Most Wanted

Interesting that the earlier link you posted that has a more official formatting does not list kidnapping as an outstanding warrant but his "sheriff's most wanted" list does. That little "mistake" might suggest that the sheriff himself is still out for blood even if the attorneys office isn't - or maybe it's the official page that's in error I guess.

I see that "flagrant" nonsupport is a class E felony in Tennessee. So yeah he really should just have an attorney negotiate a repayment agreement to have that charge dropped or downgraded to a misdemeanor. If the attorneys office really did dismiss the kidnapping charge I expect they would be amenable to that.

 

[Curious_in_NC]

I started to assemble links to make a missing person thread for him but upon checking that link he's only listed as a suspect in Daphne's missing person case which has since been resolved and she is tacitly saying he should not be considered a suspect so that page should really be taken down. The great state of California may not agree with me.

You're right, he was listed as the actual missing person's father, not as the missing person himself. I didn't read that page carefully enough.

The allegations were that he kidnapped her and drugged her. If LE located her and she said that was false, she wasn't kidnapped and drugged, I think LE might file this away as one of the many, many nasty custody disputes that happen every day in this country. If there's no evidence of a crime it is not going to be a top priority for LE. Finding and evaluating the victim would be the reason for the nationwide manhunt.

I agree, now that there's no evidence of drugging and kidnapping they should probably let this one go.