Kidnapped Children Found After 20 Years

by CJaye | February 11, 2009 at 07:33 am

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Police arrest a man in San Jose, Calif., in the 1989 kidnapping of his two grandchildren. Now those children who are now adults will meet their parents after almost 20 years. The grandfather said both parents had abused the children that was the reason he took them. If this is the case I don't blame him at all. I would have done the same if I couldn't get help and that was probably what happened.

A Tennessee brother and sister who were kidnapped from their home in 1989 have been found alive and well in San Jose, California and their grandfather has been arrested. Christie and Bobby Baskin, who are both now in their 20s and known as Jenny and Jonathan Bunting, were found with their grandfather, Marvin Maple.
Authorities said Maple, 73, took the children 20 years ago because he thought they were being abused by his daughter and son-in-law.

San Jose police arrested Marvin Maple, who was living as John Bunting, after witnesses came forward after seeing a story about the case in a San Diego newspaper. A further investigation turned up witnesses who said Maple talked about being a wanted man.

Police said Maple took his grandchildren from their home on March 1, 1989 when Christie was 8 and Bobby was 7 years old. He and his wife Sandra raised the siblings in California. Sandra Maple died about two years ago.

Christie has a college degree in nursing and works in nursing administration. She is single and still lives with her grandfather. Bobby is married and has children, authorities said.

Christie and Bobby's parents now live in Vidalia, Georgia. Their father, Mark Baskin is pastor of Normantown Baptist Church. Tennessee authorities are on the way to California to interview Christie and Bobby and try to arrange a reunion with their parents.