Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SANDY — Criminal charges were filed Wednesday against a Roy man accused of taking a sleeping 5-year-old Sandy girl from her bed and walking away with her.
Troy Morley, 46, is charged in 3rd District Court with child kidnapping, a first-degree felony; burglary, a second-degree felony; criminal trespass, a class A misdemeanor; and interfering with an officer, a class B misdemeanor.
About 4:30 a.m. Friday, Morley entered the home of Aaron and Stephanie Edson on Rembrandt Lane after randomly finding an unlocked door, prosecutors say. Morley went through several rooms before coming across Lainey Edson asleep in her basement room, then asked the young girl to go with him, according to the charges.
"Aaron Edson was in his bedroom when he heard a noise down the hallway," the charges state. "It was unusual to hear (Lainey's) voice that early in the morning on the main floor since her bedroom was downstairs."
Edson got out of bed and ran out the front door in time to see Morley walking at the end of his driveway with Lainey in his arms.
"I said, 'What are you doing?' He gave a story that he was in trouble and if he had her with him they wouldn't kill him. And he kept on repeating this story that he needed to get to a church and that as long as she was with him he would be safe. And I said, 'Look, I want to help you. But you can't take her,'" Edson told "Good Morning America" earlier this week.
I said, 'What are you doing?' He gave a story that he was in trouble and if he had her with him they wouldn't kill him. And he kept on repeating this story that he needed to get to a church and that as long as she was with him he would be safe. And I said, 'Look, I want to help you. But you can't take her.'
–Aaron Edson
"I just walked up to him and held out my arms and he just handed her over, just peacefully and calmly. And no one's voice ever got raised."
Morley ran away after handing the child over to her stepfather, police said. He then ran into another random house, owned by Tina Olsen, through a dog door after he apparently realized police were closing in.
"While downstairs, Ms. Olsen saw Morley crouched in a corner. Morley told Ms. Olsen, 'I'm in trouble. I'm bad,'" the charges state.
Morley ran out the back door into a fenced yard as Olsen told police he was inside her house. Officers with police K-9s took him into custody a short time later.
Bail was set at $2 million. Charging documents do not discuss any possible impairment or mental illness involving Morley.
Police had actually begun investigating Morley several hours before the alleged kidnapping, about 1:30 a.m., when Morley walked into a hotel off 10600 South near Automall Drive and asked the desk clerk to call police because he was in "imminent danger," said Sandy Police Sgt. Dean Carriger. He left the hotel by the time police arrived but left the clerk with his real name.
Carriger said detectives have not found any evidence to support the claim that anyone was after him that night.
Edson told KSL on Wednesday his family supports the charges filed against Morley.
"We are grateful for a faith that helps us to cope with this very traumatic situation. While the repercussions for our family are far from over, we agree with the charges and trust the Sandy Police Department, the district attorney's office, and the judicial system to handle the case from this point forward," Edson said.
