WAVE 3 TV Louisville, KY | Police describe path that led to missing Kentucky teen

Police describe path that led to missing Kentucky teen

By Janelle MacDonald - bio | email

OWENSBORO, KY (WAVE) - An Amber Alert for a Kentucky teen is over and Haley Willett is safe. She was discovered missing from her Owensboro home early Saturday morning.

Police have arrested the man suspected of taking Haley across state lines, 43-year-old Archie Whalen. WAVE 3 has learned he is a convicted sex offender, having served time for rape, burglary, assault and sexual contact with a minor in New York.

Haley's mother told our sister station WFIE she and her daughter stayed with Whalen recently in Maine. That's when she says Whalen developed a crush on Haley - who said he wanted to marry her.

Police believe Whalen drove to Haley's Owensboro home and picked her up early Saturday, Sept. 26. The two were spotted at a Hardinsburg, Kentucky McDonald's that same morning.

The tip came in as a result of the Amber Alert, and Daviess county authorities said tips from the public helped lead to Haley's safe return.

"There were a number of calls that came in to the investigators and it is certainly beneficial," said Lt. Col. Jeff Jones. "It's certainly a credit to the Amber Alert system in helping resolve this issue."

Once police had the tip from the McDonald's, they knew Whalen and Haley were traveling in a red Ford Explorer. KSP officers subsequently learned that a deputy in Sheboygan, Wisconsin had run that car's plates Saturday afternoon. Following up on that information, Whalen's family said he had family members in Wisconsin and police there were put on alert.

At 4:30 Sunday morning, more than 24 hours after she disappeared, Haley and Whalen were found as they pulled into a hotel parking lot in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

She is in the custody of police in Wisconsin, safe and unharmed, until she can be reunited with her family.

Copyright 2009 WAVE-TV and Raycom Media. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.