Lisa Marchesoni
Posted: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 2:01 pm

Kidnapping charges filed in 1989 against a grandfather arrested in February were asked to be dismissed.

Grandfather Marvin Maples, 72, of San Jose, Calif., was charged Feb. 1 with kidnapping grandchildren Christie and Bobby Maples from parents Mark and Debbie Baskin in March 1989. Maples and his wife, Sandra, who has since died, were accused of taking the children and vanishing for almost 20 years. They were sighted in California and were sought on television shows.

Sheriff’s Cold Case Detectives Lt. Bill Sharp and Sgt. Dan Goodwin located Maple after a San Diego (Calif.) Tribune story prompted a witness to identify Maple.

Attorney Greg Reed filed a motion last week asking a General Sessions Court judge to dismiss the warrant. The hearing set Tuesday was continued until May 26.

Reed asked for the dismissal for the following reasons:

• The warrant does not contain allegations of essential facts of the offenses charged. The warrant fails to state probable cause.

• The court does not have jurisdiction.

• The allegations are duplicates because more than one offense is alleged to have been committed against more than one victim.

Reed asked the warrant be dismissed and Maple’s record erased.

The district attorney’s office has not yet filed a response to Reed’s motion.

Maple is free on bond while awaiting the next hearing.