An Illinois man who fled to West Virginia after he allegedly kidnapped his 13-year-old stepdaughter and her infant son will return to his home state soon to face charges.
Christopher Derleth, 39, of Granite City, waived his right to extradition proceedings in Kanawha Circuit Judge Tod Kaufman's courtroom on Wednesday morning.
Capt. Mike Dixon, chief of investigations in Madison County, Illinois, said the transportation division of the Madison County Sheriff's Office would coordinate transportation with either Madison County deputies or U.S. marshals within the next couple of days.
Derleth is charged with aggravated kidnapping and child abduction in Madison County.
Dixon said the 13-year-old girl was taken from a foster home in Madison County. The infant was about two weeks old at the time.
Asked about the infant's paternity, Dixon directed question to Bond County, Illinois, where police are conducting a separate investigation. The chief of Greenville police, the investigating agency, could not be immediately reached on Wednesday, but the Belleville News-Democrat reported that authorities plan to conduct a paternity test.
Derleth and the two children were found at a makeshift campsite in the Kayford area of Cabin Creek. The children had no visible injuries.
Dixon said the children are now back in the custody of the state.
The girl was still under the care of a doctor, after delivering the baby by cesarean section, when Derleth allegedly kidnapped her on Sept. 18. She has a congenital heart defect and a pacemaker. Special equipment to monitor the pacemaker was left behind when she went missing.
Derleth, who told the judge he did not attend school after the 10th grade, was represented by Diana Panucci, chief public defender for Kanawha County.
Reach Erin Beck at erin.beck@wvgazettemail.com, Facebook.com/erinbeckwv, 304-348-5163 or follow @erinbeckwv on Twitter.