Four abducted children spotted in Lexington ‘may be in danger,’ sheriff’s office says

A Virginia woman who allegedly abducted her four children is being sought, and the family has recently been spotted in Lexington, according to the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office.

The investigation has been ongoing since the mother, 34-year-old Melody Bannister, stated her and her four children were being abused by a family member, the sheriff’s office said. After the allegations were determined to be unfounded, Bannister left Virginia with her children on a vacation and have not returned.

Bannister and the children, identified as Genevieve Bannister, 13; Janelle Bannister, 12; Vivienne Bannister, 11; and Peter Bannister, 7, have been spotted in 13 cities throughout eight states.

Among the locations they have been seen is Lexington, where the sheriff’s office said the Bannisters were in the 40502 zip code. This area includes Lansdowne, Chevy Chase, Lakewood, Kenwick and Idle Hour.

They have also been spotted in Alabama, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Colorado, North Carolina and Texas in recent months, according to the sheriff.

The U.S. Marshals Service and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children are also involved in the investigation. The sheriff’s office said recent developments leave them to believe “the children may now be in danger.”

The mother is wanted on one felony charge of violation of a court order, four misdemeanor abduction charges, and one misdemeanor charge of filing a false police report.

The family was originally traveling with a white Great Pyrenees dog and white Ragdoll cat, according to the National Children for Missing and Exploited Children.

Anyone with information on the location of Melody Bannister and her four children is asked to call the U.S. Marshals at 1-877-926-8332.

This story was originally published December 13, 2019 at 12:55 PM.