The case of Dr. David Rhodes - unaired on Lifetime

[justins5256]

CHILD STEALING CHARGE IS DROPPED
Akron Beacon Journal (OH)
May 10, 1990
Author: Jolene Limbacher, Beacon Journal staff writer
Estimated printed pages: 3

A Uniontown woman has dropped a child-stealing charge against her
estranged husband, who was the subject of a nationwide search and the TV show Unsolved Mysteries in the alleged taking of their children.

Penny Moore Rhodes dropped the fourth-degree felony charge TuesDAY, against her husband, Dr. David L. Rhodes of Sicklerville, N.J., in Canton Municipal
Court, assistant Stark County Prosecutor Richard Reinbold said Wednesday.
Reinbold said Mrs. Rhodes had filed a warrant charging her husband with child stealing, but the warrant was never served.

Stark County Prosecutor Robert Horowitz said it has been agreed that the
U.S. attorney's office will withdraw a federal warrant accusing Rhodes of
unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
Rhodes, 50, picked up the children -- David, now 6, and Keelan, 4 -- on
Feb. 26, 1988, from Mrs. Rhodes' parents' home in Uniontown for a four-day
visitation. He never returned with them.

Stark Sheriff's Capt. James Shannon said WednesDAY, that Rhodes took the
children to Toronto, changed their names, his name and his career. Shannon
said Rhodes became a computer programmer and a `pillar of the community.'

For the next 16 1/2 months, local law enforcement agencies and the FBI
searched for clues to Rhodes' whereabouts. Shannon said during that time,
Rhodes had no communication with his wife and that Mrs. Rhodes did not know
where her children were or if they were safe.

After the depiction of the incident on Unsolved Mysteries in May 1989, the FBI received calls from people throughout North America who claimed to have
seen the children.

Mrs. Rhodes has said that about two weeks after the segment aired, she
received a letter from Rhodes in which he agreed to turn the children over to her if she would grant him joint custody. Rhodes turned the children over to
his wife in July in New Jersey.

The couple's bitter separation, divorce and child custody proceedings have spanned three states -- North Carolina, New Jersey and Ohio. Rhodes, an
anesthesiologist and real estate investor from Morehead City, N.C., is
national coordinator for the National Children's Foundation, a Washington,
D.C., group advocating that children have equal access to both parents.

Rhodes said in a recent interview that he has since been denied access to
his children.

Reinbold said Mrs. Rhodes approached the prosecutor's office last July
about assisting her in dismissing the case against her husband because of an
agreement reached between the two.

Also on Tuesday, Rhodes dropped a lawsuit he filed in March against
Horowitz, claiming that Horowitz had reneged on his promise to drop the child- stealing charge against him. Rhodes claimed the felony prevented him from
renewing his medical license.

However, Rhodes said he has suspended his practice of medicine to devote
the next 10 years to his crusade of getting fathers equal custody of their
children.

According to a spokesman for Stark County Family Court, the couple has
divorce proceedings pending in Canton and Morehead City. Mrs. Rhodes acquired temporary custody of the children through a New Jersey court.

A hearing is scheduled later this month in Stark Family Court on whether
the court has jurisdiction over Rhodes. A court spokesman said that if the
court finds jurisdiction, the court can hear the divorce complaint filed by
Mrs. Rhodes.

Rhodes, who represents himself in court, also has sued his former attorney for allegedly failing to adequately represent him. A Stark court spokesman
said attorney Jack Blakeslee of Canton withdrew from Rhodes' case in January
because Rhodes wanted him to do things that might be unethical.

Rhodes also is spokesman for a class-action, civil-rights lawsuit filed in March in U.S. District Court in Akron. The suit filed by Robert Englehart of
Massillon alleges that Stark's Family Court, the Ohio Supreme Court and
various other state officials are denying divorcing parents their right to
settle their disputes and that courts are interfering with fathers' rights to win joint custody. dl
Edition: 2 STAR
Section: METRO
Page: D1
Index Terms: CHILD CUSTODY, KIDNAP
Copyright (c) 1990 Akron Beacon Journal
Record Number: 9001270049

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CHILD STEALING CHARGE IS DROPPED
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[DarkDante]

This would be the case of "the search for a North Carolina doctor embroiled in a custody battle with his wife." which aired alongside the Keri Lynn Nixon case correct? (5/10/89)

[justins5256]

Originally Posted by DarkDante

This would be the case of "the search for a North Carolina doctor embroiled in a custody battle with his wife." which aired alongside the Keri Lynn Nixon case correct? (5/10/89)

I believe so.

[crystaldawn]

Thanks for posting the article. I was always curious about that case when I saw it in the episode guide as it didn't sound familiar at all.

[Zero]

What are the details of this case? I've never seen it.

[sdb4884]

Just saw this case for the first time recently, can't believe I missed it as it was on the same broadcast as the Mark and Christi Nichols case.

[TheCars1986]

Originally Posted by sdb4884

Just saw this case for the first time recently, can't believe I missed it as it was on the same broadcast as the Mark and Christi Nichols case.

Where did you see this at? I don't think I've seen this one before.

[sdb4884]

Originally Posted by TheCars1986

Where did you see this at? I don't think I've seen this one before.

It's on the original NBC broadcast Season 1 EP 24.


Sorry it's not the Mark/Chrisi Nichols case it's the Kerry Lynn Nixon original airing.