Missouri day-care provider accused setting up sham adoption

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A Missouri day-care provider accused of taking a baby to Arkansas to arrange for her adoption without the knowledge of the girl's parents was charged with attempted kidnapping.

Lasonya Poindexter, 30, of Joplin was charged Thursday. Her plot fell apart in July when the would-be adoptive parents, Laura and Garry Parton, became suspicious and contacted the baby's birth parents, Ashley and Christian Still, on Facebook, an affidavit stated.

The Stills confirmed they hadn't put the girl up for adoption and didn't know Poindexter had taken their baby to Lincoln, Arkansas, at least four times to meet the Partons.

According to the affidavit, the Partons wanted to adopt after suffering a miscarriage.

The affidavit states Poindexter asked for money for the girl's care during one visit to the Partons' home, about 80 miles to the south.

Poindexter is in federal custody pending a detention hearing Tuesday.

The affidavit states Poindexter first contacted the Arkansas couple through a friend in June and began making arrangements for them to adopt the infant girl who, along with a sibling, was being left in her care a few days a week.

Poindexter told the Partons she had been given the child to care for, and the baby had been conceived through a rape, which Ashley Still said was a lie.

Poindexter also told them the mother wanted a "closed" adoption so she wouldn't know who was adopting the baby, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit doesn't state how Poindexter planned to explain the disappearance of the baby girl to her parents.

The Arkansas couple began buying things for the baby and prepping a nursery. Poindexter told Laura Parton via Facebook Messenger she was "glad" the girl "finally has parents who adore here," adding the baby "deserves so much more than she is getting."

The Stills and Partons confronted Poindexter. The affidavit states she responded to the Arkansas couple by forwarding a screen shot of an email that appeared to be from an attorney working on the adoption paperwork. She told the baby's parents the would-be-adoptive mother was the current girlfriend of her ex-boyfriend who was trying to ruin her day-care business.

Under questioning, Poindexter tried to shift the blame to her 16-year-old sister, suggesting the teen may have used her Facebook accounts to set up the sham adoption, the affidavit states.

Poindexter later admitted to investigators she knew she didn't have permission to take the girl to Arkansas and she had considered giving the Partons another baby in her care.

Pertinent address:

Joplin, Mo.

Lincoln, Ark.