Lisa Miller and her 8-year-old daughter, Isabella Miller-Jenkins, were due to appear in court in January but never showed.  Now, the former partner of Miller, Janet Jenkins, suspects her ex-partner of kidnapping their child. 

They are suspected of fleeing to Central America, the Associated Press is reporting.  A Virginia police officer told Jenkins that they suspect that the birth mother took their daughter to El Salvador via Juarez, Mexico last September. 

"This is obviously horrifying," Jenkins attorney, Sarah Star said Thursday. "Isabella's not in school. She's most likely in a country that is not as developed as the U.S., and (Jenkins is) worried about her. She's worried she's not in a safe environment. As far as we know, Lisa Miller doesn't even speak Spanish."

Miller and Jenkins were joined in a legal civil union in Vermont in 2000 but their relationship quickly soured and they were eventually separated in 2003.  Soon after their separation, a custody battle over Isabella ensued.   Miller no longer considered herself a lesbian and claimed that Jenkins did not have any custodial rights to Isabella, even though she was born during their union. 

Later this month, the Vermont Supreme Court will hear arguments from Miller's attorneys on an appeal that contends a Family Court judge in VT was wrong to grant custody rights to Jenkins. Miller’s attorneys claim that they haven't heard from their client since September.

Follow SheWired on Twitter!

Follow SheWired on Facebook!