On Monday August 14, Robin Mangell’s nightmare came to an end when he was reunited with his two children Hailey, 8 and Joshua 5 in Providence, Rhode Island.
Exactly a month beforehand on July 14, Hailey and Joshua Mangell were allegedly abducted by their mother, Joanne Mangell from High River, AB. Joanne and the children were immediately reported missing to the RCMP in High River.
On July 25, 2006, Robin Mangell requested the help of the Missing Children Society of Canada in locating the children. By this time, Robin Mangell had been awarded sole custody of the children by order of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta.
The Missing Children Society of Canada started working closely with the High River RCMP and the National Missing Children Services office in Ottawa in order to locate Joanne and the children. As there was a concern that Joanne Mangell may attempt to remove the children from Canada, authorities with the Canadian Border Services Agency and Foreign Affairs officials were also contacted. Numerous interviews and inquiries were made in Calgary, High River, throughout Canada and in the United States. Posters were distributed in High River and information concerning the case was posted on the MCSC web site.
Police followed up on tips that led them to Montreal and the east coast of the United States. Finally on Sunday, August 13, 2006 Joanne Mangell turned herself in to police in Providence, Rhode Island. The MCSC was contacted immediately by Robin Mangell's family and various authorities working on the case.
With the help of MCSC and the RCMP, arrangements were made to have the children returned to the custody of their father, Robin on the morning of Monday, August 14, 2006. The MCSC worked closely with Robin Mangell, the RCMP, the Providence Police Department and the Rhode Island Department of Child, Youth and Family Services to ensure the safety of the children prior to their reunification with their father.
We are delighted to announce that Robin and his children are now back in Calgary where they were met by relieved family and friends.