Governor's warrant served on father 4

Ashland Daily Tidings (Ashland, OR — Wayback)

2002-08-27

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--> --> Governor's warrant served on father BIG TIMBER, Mont. (AP) - An Oregon governor's warrant was served Friday on Brian Christine, who is accused of kidnapping three of his daughters from child-welfare workers at gunpoint nearly two months ago. Christine has 10 days to respond to the warrant, either by fighting or accepting extradition, said District Judge Nels Swandal. He is being held in the Yellowstone County, Mont., jail on $500,000 bond. He was stopped Aug. 3 for speeding in Montana and arrested on an Oregon warrant for the abduction. His pregnant wife, Ruth Christine, was found on Aug. 5 with their three oldest daughters at a residence outside of Missoula. She is accused of participating in the abduction and is being held on $500,000 bond in Missoula County. The girls - Bethany, 6, Lydia, 4, and Miriam, 3 - are now living with their maternal grandparents in an undisclosed location. A fourth child, 1-year-old Olivia, is living with her paternal grandmother in Indiana. Ruth Christine gave birth to a fifth daughter Monday and was returned to jail. The newborn, Abbey Rose, was placed in a Montana foster home. Ruth Christine was served with an Oregon governor's warrant on Tuesday and has 10 days to respond. On Wednesday, an Oregon judge approved the state's plan to terminate the couple's parental rights to the three older girls. The girls were initially taken into state custody after state officials allegedly found them emaciated and dehydrated while living with their parents in a converted city bus in Grants Pass. One child had a 3-inch skull fracture, officials said. The Christines' lawyer, Edgar Steele of Idaho, and family friends and supporters have denied the state's claims. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing