Five years old in 1994 - when his
paternal grandparents took him away during a custody dispute - the now-24-year
old was tracked down this week in Long Prairie, Minnesota, making his mother
the "happiest woman
on earth" according to her husband, Richard Harter.
While Lisa Harter is yet to actually
reunite with Richard, the boy's stepfather said she was "jumping up and
down for joy" when investigators said he had been found.
Landers' grandparents, living in a
nearby Minnesota town under an alias, confirmed the identity of the child they
stole so many years ago.
According to the police, they abducted
him in July 1994 because they were "upset over pending court proceedings"
regarding his placement.
They were charged with
"interference," but that count was dismissed in 2008 after the case
went cold.
However, it was reopened in September
after Richard Harter turned over the Landers' Social Security card to an Indiana
State Police detective.
Lander is married and expecting his
first child, as authorities say there are no signs he was abused in any way.
It's unclear at the moment whether new
charges will be filed against his grandparents.
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