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Former Ohio school superintendent William J. Morrison III, 59, was charged with two felony counts after being arrested from his home in the 1100 block of 13th Street for kidnapping two kids in West Virginia.
As per Huntington police, Morrison promised to offer cash to the victims for stepping inside his car. He approached a 9-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl last week on August 17 and offered to pay $20 each if they would babysit his 4-year-old kid.
Speaking on the matter, Huntington Police Chief Karl Colder said:
"It is very concerning especially now that we’re back to school and what can happen to young people."
Morrison is being held at the Western Regional Jail without bond. There are no records stating whether William J. Morrison III has a lawyer.
In connection with the incident, detectives from the Huntington Police Department executed two search warrants, one at Morrison's home and the other at an apartment in Barboursville.
William J. Morrison III raised the cash offer to $100 for the girl
Once the kids got in the car, he drove away with them in his SUV, a Subaru Forester. He was on the road for a bit when he paused and asked the boy to inspect the car tire. As soon as the kid jumped out, William J. Morrison III drove away with the girl still inside the car.
According to a criminal complaint in Cabell County Magistrate Court, the girl started to cry, after which William J. Morrison III allegedly raised the cash offer to $100.
Reportedly, the girl urged Morrison to let her out and, after a few blocks away, was able to open the passenger door and run for her life. HPD chief Colder called the children's actions heroic and maintained that they were lucky to escape unhurt.
Speaking about Morrison, Colder said:
"At this point in time we look at it as being random. There may be some past history with Mr. Morrison that we are aware of. We’re still combing through that information and trying to assess it."
According to a report by WSAZ, William J. Morrison III was a former superintendent of Hamilton Local Schools in the Columbus, Ohio, area. However, he was placed on administrative leave after he was arrested on drug-related charges. Morrison even pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drug charge in Columbus after cops found crack cocaine in his car. He later lost his job as a school official.
There will likely be more charges police will file against Morrison as the investigation intensifies. HPD detectives, Huntington Violent Crime/Drug Task Force members, and the Barboursville Police Department collectively worked to put Morrison behind bars.
