Paislee Shultis: Kidnapped girl missing for two years found alive under grandfather's staircase

The tiny hidden room where she was found, living under the stairs at her grandfather's house. Photo / Saugerties Police

A 6-year-old girl who went missing more than two years ago has been found alive in a tiny makeshift room underneath a staircase in a house.

Officers found Paislee Shultis in a home in Saugerties, New York, about 290km from where she went missing in Spencer, New York.

When she vanished in July 2019 police said they believed that her biological parents, Kimberly Cooper, 33, and Kirk Shultis jnr, 32, who had lost custody of her, had abducted the child.

Detectives made several visits to the house in Saugerties, which belonged to Paislee's grandfather, and were given limited access, but did not find her.

A police spokesman said: "Each time, we were met with resistance from the occupants of the residence.

"We were told that the child was not there, that we were only harassing the family."

After a new tip officers obtained a warrant and went to the house again on Monday and searched for an hour.

Removing some stairs, they found the girl and her mother hiding in the dark and wet enclosure.

A police spokesman said: "Detectives used a tool to remove several of the wooden steps, and that is when detectives saw a pair of tiny feet.

"After removing several more steps, the child and her abductor were discovered within. The space was small, cold, and wet."

Paislee Shultis was abducted from her legal guardian two years ago, police found the little girl hidden under the stairs on Monday following a tip. Photo / Saugerties Police

Paislee was taken to police headquarters, examined by paramedics, found to be in good health, and returned to her legal guardian.

Police arrested her parents and the girl's grandfather Kirk Shultis snr, 57.

They face charges of custodial interference and endangering the welfare of a child.

Paislee was found after Detective Erik Thiele felt there was something strange about the staircase, shone a light between the steps, and saw a blanket.

Saugerties police chief Joseph Sinagra said: "He doesn't know exactly what it was, but something was odd about that staircase."

Paislee's non-custodial parents, Kirk Shultis Jr and Kimberly Cooper. Photo / NYSD

The police chief said the girl was "upset and concerned" after being found.

He said: "That begs the question, what was the child told about the police and why the police would come and take her. That's what I'm concerned about.

"And I'm sure that when she saw several of our officers, who were heavily armed, that was somewhat traumatising."

The police chief said officers took the girl to McDonald's on the way to the police station.

He said: "The detectives went to the drive-through at McDonald's, picked her up a Happy Meal, and brought her back to headquarters. And she was fine after that."