AP

Lawyer: No evidence of mom’s alleged Qanon kidnapping plot

Aug 22, 2022, 5:46 PM | Updated: 5:48 pm

DENVER (AP) — There is no evidence a Colorado woman who lost custody of her 7-year-old son for allegedly lying about his health problems plotted with Qanon supporters to have him kidnapped from foster care, her lawyer told jurors Monday at the start of her trial.

The prosecution’s case about the alleged plot in 2019 is based on the account of Cynthia Abcug’s then 16-year-old daughter, who told her counselor that her mother was talking with followers of the baseless Qanon conspiracy theory about launching a raid on the home, defense lawyer Brian Hall said during opening statements in court in Castle Rock in suburban Denver.

Many Qanon supporters believe former President Donald Trump was fighting enemies in the so-called deep state to expose a group of satanic, cannibalistic child molesters they believe secretly runs the globe.

Hall stressed that the girl did not know details about what was supposed to happen and did not think her mother knew where her son’s foster home was.

But Chief Deputy District Gary Dawson told the jury that the daughter heard her mother talking about the raid on several occasions in September and August of 2019. Around that same time, Abcug bought a gun, and a man identified only as Ryan and described as an ex-member of the military and a sniper moved into their home to provide protection, Dawson said.

An older son who was no longer living at home will also testify that he remembers Abcug talking about launching a raid to get her young son back, Dawson said.

Abcug is charged with both conspiracy to commit second-degree kidnapping, a felony, and misdemeanor child abuse for allegedly committing medical child abuse by lying about his health problems to doctors, causing him to be subjected to unnecessary procedures, and telling staff at his school that he suffered seizures, had trouble walking and swallowing and was dying. The boy has not suffered any medical problems since being put in foster care in May 2019, Dawson said.

Hall said there was no evidence of medical child abuse. He said that a doctor who cared for the boy in Florida and a half-brother witnessed him having seizures and implied that at least some of his other health problems were side effects of medication prescribed to treat the seizures.

Abcug, a single mother, moved her family to Colorado in 2018 to seek treatment based on the recommendation of the Florida doctor, Hall said. A doctor in Colorado had developed a plan to wean Abcug’s son off the seizure medication about two weeks before he was removed from his mother’s custody, Hall said.

“Ms. Abcug was doing the best she could after years of not knowing what was wrong with her child,” Hall said.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Republican presidential candidates, from left, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former New Jers...

Associated Press

3rd Republican presidential debate is set for Nov. 8 in Miami, with the strictest qualifications yet

The third Republican presidential debate will be held in Miami on Nov. 8, a day after several states hold off-year elections.

3 days ago

During the equinox, the Earth’s axis and its orbit line up so that both hemispheres get an equal ...

Associated Press

The fall equinox is here. What does that mean?

The equinox arrives on Saturday, marking the start of the fall season for the Northern Hemisphere. But what does that actually mean?

3 days ago

Ray Epps Ray Epps, an Arizona man who became the center of a conspiracy theory about Jan. 6, 2021, ...

Associated Press

Ray Epps, an Arizona man who supported Trump, pleads guilty to Capital riot charge

Ray Epps, the target of a conspiracy theory about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a misdemeanor charge.

5 days ago

Former President Donald Trump repeatedly declined in an interview aired Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, to ...

Associated Press

Trump refuses to say in a TV interview how he watched the Jan. 6 attack unfold at the US Capitol

Former President Donald Trump repeatedly declined in an interview aired Sunday to answer questions about whether he watched the Capitol riot.

8 days ago

This frame grab from video, provided by the Mexican government, shows Ovidio Guzman Lopez being det...

Associated Press

Mexico extradites son of ‘El Chapo,’ Ovidio Guzman Lopez to US

The son of notorious cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán, Ovidio Guzman Lopez was extradited to the U.S. on Friday.

9 days ago

impeachments in US history...

Associated Press

A look at notable impeachments in US history, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was acquitted Saturday on during his impeachment trial. Here's a roundup of impeachments in U.S. history.

9 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Home moving relocation in Arizona 2023...

BMS Moving

Tips for making your move in Arizona easier

If you're moving to a new home in Arizona, use this to-do list to alleviate some stress and ensure a smoother transition to your new home.

...

re:vitalize

When most diets fail, re:vitalize makes a difference that shows

Staying healthy and losing weight are things many people in Arizona are conscious of, especially during the summer.

...

Mayo Clinic

Game on! Expert sports physicals focused on you

With tryouts quickly approaching, now is the time for parents to schedule physicals for their student-athlete. The Arizona Interscholastic Association requires that all student-athletes must have a physical exam completed before participating in team practices or competition.

Lawyer: No evidence of mom’s alleged Qanon kidnapping plot