October 29, 2014

Billy Hanson Recovered Safely in South Pacific

Today, the search for missing 9-year-old Billy Hanson ends after local authorities in Niue located him safe on the island country in the South Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile, his non-custodial father/alleged kidnapper is in custody in Niue.

Billy’s family has been notified, and authorities are now working to reunite Billy with his mother.

The FBI and the Seattle Police Department Major Crimes Task Force worked with local, state, federal, and international partners to locate Billy, who is from Hazleton, Pennsylvania, and was last seen with his father, Jeffrey Hanson, in Seattle, Washington.

A federal arrest warrant was issued for Billy’s father, Jeffrey Ford Hanson on September 12, 2014, in the United States District Court, Western District of Washington in Seattle, Washington, after he was charged with international parental kidnapping.

The FBI and the Seattle Police Department Major Crimes Task Force is working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on the extradition process. Once that is complete, U.S. federal agents will bring Jeffrey Hanson back to the U.S.

The joint investigation combines the resources of the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Seattle Police Department’s Major Crimes Task Force, the Port of Seattle Police Department, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.