Mott captured attempting to flee into Canada

Very disturbing turn of events yesterday, reported to Historic City News in a press conference with officials from the Neptune Beach Police Department and Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office just after 5:00 p.m. this evening.

Police have been searching for 15-year-old Logan Mott and his 53-year-old grandmother, Kristina French, for the past three days. They, along with French’s 2015 silver four-door Dodge Dart with Florida tag DLLT42, were reported missing after Logan didn’t show up at Sandalwood High School Monday or Tuesday. French also didn’t show up for work Monday or Tuesday.

In tonight’s update, we learned that a body, believed to be Kristina French, who lived on South Nipigon Avenue in Mayport, has been discovered buried in a shallow grave in the backyard of the Seagate Avenue home in Neptune Beach that belongs to her son, Jacksonville Corrections Lieutenant Eric Mott. French and her grandson had been house-sitting while Eric and his girlfriend were out-of-town on vacation.  They returned home from the airport Wednesday to find the Seagate Avenue home was open and the house was ransacked.  Mott’s guns were reported missing from a gun safe.

Police said Logan, and the missing Dodge Dart, were spotted Thursday on surveillance video in south central Pennsylvania.  They believed was still somewhere in the Northeast United States. A warrant was issued for his arrest on charges of auto theft. Then, at about 11:10 p.m. tonight, we received confirmation that the fugitive teen was discovered in possession of his grandmother’s vehicle as he tried to enter Canada from the Buffalo, New York area. Mott was detained by US Customs and Border Protection.

“We are relieved he is safe and in custody and we just ask for everyone to give us time to sort out what happened,” said Logan’s mother, Carrie Campbell-Mott, who lives in Missouri with her three younger children, all under the age of 5. “No matter what, Logan is our child and we love him and are standing by him to help in any way. We want to find out what happened to Kristina and we need time for that to happen.”

Kristina French has been an employee of May Institute – a nonprofit organization that serves individuals with autism and other special needs – for more than four years, serving as Director of Operations in their Florida office. Her coworkers recalled that she was a true champion for people with disabilities and that she advocated tirelessly for human rights.