More than two years after she was allegedly abducted, Majesty Williams, who is now aged six, was reunited with her father in Atlanta this weekend after police officers found her safe and well with her mother in Mexico.
Majesty was four when her mother, Andrea McCord, now 34, allegedly abducted her from her father’s home in Smyrna, Georgia, on April 1, 2021.
After an extensive investigation that took more than two years and caused heartbreak for her family, Majesty was reunited with her father, James Williams, at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday.
Williams said: ‘I am incredibly grateful and overjoyed to be reunited with my daughter.
‘Words cannot express how happy I am to have my daughter back home. Majesty is doing well, and I kindly ask the media for privacy at this time.’
Majesty was 4 when her mother, Andrea McCord, now 34, allegedly abducted her from her father’s home in Smyrna, Georgia, on April 1, 2021
Majesty was reunited with her father, James Williams, at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday
A break in the case finally came on Saturday when McCord and her boyfriend, Custodio Guerra, were located in San Luis Potosi, an eastern and central Mexican state, where they were living with Majesty.
The couple was arrested on warrants for Interstate Interference with Child Custody and have been extradited to the United States to face charges.
The next day, Majesty and her father embraced at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta.
According to Williams, on April 1, 2021, his estranged wife, McCord, was living elsewhere and visiting Majesty at his home in Smyrna, Georgia.
Williams said he was outside working in his yard while Majesty spent time with her mother in the house. At some point, he realized McCord and Majesty were gone.
Williams said McCord later sent a phone text, telling him that his car was at a nearby grocery store and the keys were under the seat.
Williams reported Majesty missing to Smyrna Police. After an investigation, police were able to obtain a felony warrant for McCord’s arrest for Interstate Interference with Custody.
With the possibility that Majesty could be anywhere, NCMEC wanted to elevate her case to a national level.
In their partnership with the REELZ television show, On Patrol: Live, NCMEC featured Majesty’s case on March 11, 2023.
Majesty’s mom, Andrea McCord, 34. A break in the case finally came on Saturday when McCord and her boyfriend, Custodio Guerra, were located in San Luis Potosi, an eastern and central Mexican state, where they were living with Majesty
‘The Smyrna Police Department is honored to have partnered with NCMEC in the search for Majesty. The Smyrna Police Department used several resources to gain information in locating Majesty, but once we connected with NCMEC our resources grew exponentially,’ said Lieutenant Meredith Holt, Public Information Officer at Smyrna Police Department.
‘Our detective team worked diligently and strategically to continue the search and keep Majesty at the forefront of everyone’s mind. We are truly grateful for our partnership with NCMEC and proud of our own detectives for not giving up. We wish Majesty and her father the best as they move forward together.’
The investigation was conducted jointly by Smyrna Police Department, NCMEC and the U.S. Marshals Service.
‘We know that it can sometimes be tough to get media attention when it comes to missing children related to family custody situations,’ said Angeline Hartmann, Director of Communications at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
‘We shared home videos of Majesty and that helped viewers connect with this sweet child. People across the country wanted to help her Dad. We’re thrilled that Majesty is now back home safe.’
The National Crime Information Center had 30,522 active records of missing children 18 or younger by the end of 2022, according to a report published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Fewer than half of the total missing person records include information on the circumstances regarding the case, but of those with circumstances provided, 2,386 children had been abducted by a non-custodial parent, the FBI said.
According to Hartmann, these types of cases can be particularly difficult to raise awareness about.
