A 21-year-old Massachusetts woman who abducted and tortured a 2-year-old girl has been ordered held without bail.
Abigail Hanna was arraigned in Newburyport District Court on Monday. She could barely stand without assistance from a court officer.
Abigail Hanna is accused of breaking into a home and abducting a toddler she used to babysit.
Lyndon Albers’s father called 911 at 7 a.m. on Friday to report the toddler missing. The girl’s mother said she last heard Lyndon on the baby monitor at 4:30 a.m.
After a brief search of the house, Lyndon’s parents found a door slightly ajar.
3 hours later, a couple driving in Rowley spotted Lyndon naked and shivering by the side of the road. She was found about 3 miles from her home.
The toddler’s head was shaved, she had been assaulted and she suffered cigarette burns all over her body. Police thought Lyndon was a boy because her head was shaved.
Hanna was arrested on Saturday and charged with kidnapping, assault and battery with a deadly weapon (a cigarette), and breaking and entering.
Police say Hanna initially denied knowing the toddler or the Albers. She eventually told police she knew Lyndon’s parents kept their doors unlocked at night.
A court-appointed psychologist testified that Hanna was actively hallucinating and didn’t know who she was. The psychologist said Hanna voiced suicidal ideations.
The judge ordered Hanna sent to the Worcester Recovery Center for a psychiatric evaluation to determine her mental competency.
Hanna’s attorney Susan McNeil said her client was “addressing serious and potentially life-threatening issues.”
“These issues have clearly impacted her overall mental health,” McNeil said. “We are in the early stages of the process of trying to determine the facts of what occurred over the past several days.”
The Hanna family released a statement following the court hearing:
“We are so thankful that Lyndon is improving and wish her and her family complete healing in every way. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. We will continue to care for Abi, whom we love very much. We ask that everyone respect the privacy of both families in this very difficult time.”
