Billy Ginger Hanson, Missing 9-Year-Old Boy, Found On Island 7,000 Miles From Home

Billy Ginger Hanson who has been missing since early September has been found safe and healthy on an island in the South Pacific. The 9-year-old boy was visiting his father, Jeffrey Hanson, in Seattle. He was supposed to return to his mother in Pennsylvania on Sept. 4 but never made his flight. He was declared missing and allegedly kidnapped by his father.

The Hansons were in the middle of ongoing custody battles over the boy, and it was suspected that the boy’s father—an experienced sailor—may have taken the boy on his boat and fled for international waters. Two months of searching came to a head today and the boy and his father were found living in the elder Hanson’s sail boat which was docked at Niue, a small South Pacific island and coral atoll.

Nuie police, working off a tip from a local who recognized Jeffrey from numerous wanted posters, alerted the authorities who swept in and arrested the 46 year old father turned kidnapper. In their statement to the press, the U.S. Attorney’s Office mentioned that Jeffrey Hanson is a “drug abuser” who had very limited visitation rights with his son prior to the abduction because of his addiction and allegedly for his abusive behavior toward his former wife and Billy himself.

Currently, Jeffrey Hanson is still in the custody of Niue police and will likely be extradited sooner than later. Billy is preparing to be returned to Pennsylvania shortly.