Craig N. Ross Jr. Admits to Abducting 9-Year-Old Girl from New York Park, Faces 47 Years-to-Life in Prison

A man accused of snatching a 9-year-old girl during a family camping trip last year might spend the rest of his life in jail after confessing.

Craig Nelson Ross Jr. admitted to snatching the girl and doing terrible things to her when he showed up in court on Wednesday, as reported by WRGB.

The little girl was taken while riding her bike in Moreau Lake State Park on Sept. 30, 2023. Less than 48 hours later, she was found in a cupboard inside a trailer parked at Ross Jr.'s mom's place.

Investigators found them after finding his fingerprints on a ransom note left in the girl's family mailbox. They matched the prints to a DWI case from 1999 in Saratoga, N.Y.

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Ross Jr. appeared calm when he confessed, according to The Times Union. He could get up to 47 years in jail for kidnapping and assaulting the girl.

His trial was set to start on April 8, but he accepted the plea deal. If it had gone to trial, the young girl might have had to testify. 

He'll learn his fate on April 17, and he's currently locked up in Saratoga County Jail.

WTEN reported that his confession came after a court appearance on Feb. 1, where the Assistant District Attorney said they had a lot of evidence against him.

After the girl was returned home, her family thanked everyone who helped, including the FBI, New York State police, and hundreds of volunteers.

Apart from his 1999 DWI case, Ross Jr. was arrested in April 2017 after a fight with a partner. He allegedly choked the person during the fight, according to New York State Police.

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