Missing Fulton woman found in Illinois

Tori Taylor
Tori Taylor

A Fulton woman who has been missing since late April has been found in Illinois after being taken into custody on two outstanding warrants from Missouri, according to a Fulton Police Department press release.

Tori Taylor - who allegedly had been kidnapped in Fulton on April 26 - contacted her family just before 9 p.m. Tuesday night, according to the press release. The 25-year-old Taylor was then located in Centralia, Illinois, at 11:15 p.m. and taken into custody on the warrants.

"We're all relieved that she's safe - that's the main thing at this point," Fulton Police Chief Steve Myers said Wednesday morning. "It's been a pretty exhausting investigation."

According to Case.net, a warrant had been issued out of Montgomery County earlier Tuesday for Taylor for failure to appear on drug charges.

Taylor was arrested Jan. 8 in Montgomery City for felony possession of a controlled substance of 35 grams or less of marijuana/synthetic cannabinoid, misdemeanor possession of marijuana/synthetic cannabinoid of 10 grams or less and misdemeanor unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.

A warrant was also issued out of Callaway County for Taylor on May 12 for failure to appear on drug charges. She was arrested by the Callaway County Sheriff's Office on Oct. 1, 2020, for felony possession of a controlled substance of 35 grams or less of marijuana/synthetic cannabinoid and misdemeanor possession of marijuana/synthetic cannabinoid of 10 grams or less.

According to Case.net, Taylor has charges dating back to 2015.

The FPD responded to a report of a kidnapping in the 500 block of 10th Street on April 26. The victim was described as a 5-foot-3 female, thin build with short, brown hair, wearing a black, short-sleeved shirt which covered her shorts.

Officers located security video in the area of East Eighth Street and the vehicle that the victim was reportedly taken in was identified as a gray or dark-colored Dodge Charger.

The FPD was then contacted by Taylor's family on April 28 and informed that she was possibly the person who had been taken. An investigation determined Taylor had had no contact with anyone since April 20, when she appeared via WebEx for a court date in Montgomery County.

The community, friends and family supplied multiple tips during the investigation and the FPD and other law enforcement agencies in Callaway County, Missouri, Illinois and Oklahoma followed up on those leads.

While doing so, multiple arrests were also made for outstanding warrants in those areas.

According to the press release, FPD continues the investigation and further information will be released at a later date.