Police: No evidence girl fled abuse at home

Story Highlights

• NEW: Police say no evidence Connecticut girl was fleeing abuse
• NEW: Girl never went to school while she was missing, police say
• Defense attorney says teen girl was at house for protection
• A frequent runaway, the girl was hidden in room under staircase, say police

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BLOOMFIELD, Connecticut (CNN) -- Police on Thursday denied claims that a 15-year-old girl found Wednesday in a locked closet in a West Hartford, Connecticut, house was being protected from abuse at home.

Instead, they and an attorney for Danielle Erica Cramer's parents hinted that the main suspect in the case, Adam Gault, 41, influenced her to run away from home. Police previously said Gault has a history of inappropriate relationships with teenage girls.

Attorney Marc Needelman compared the case Thursday to the 1974 kidnapping and brainwashing of heiress Patricia Hearst. "There may be parallels to this situation here," said Needelman, who represents Jennifer and Jamie Hesse, Danielle's mother and stepfather.

Danielle was found Wednesday when police went to serve search warrants as part of the investigation into her disappearance. A police official said the house was in "deplorable" condition. (Watch Blatter describe the room where police found the missing teenage girl )

During the defendants' initial court appearance Thursday a judge set a $1 million bond for Gault. Ann Murphy, 40, described as Gault's common-law wife, and Kimberly Cray, 26, a resident of the home, were each given $750,000 bonds.

The charges -- including unlawful restraint, reckless endangerment, custodial interference and risk of injury to a minor -- were read as each defendant was individually brought before the judge.

Girl was free to go, attorney says

Michael Georgetti, Cray's lawyer, said Thursday that Danielle was free to come and go from the house and attended school using her real name, and even had a cell phone.

When found by police, she was huddled in the closet under the stairs because "she was hiding from the police and hiding from being returned to her mother," Georgetti said.

"What you're going to find is that this is a case of individuals trying to protect a young girl from being sexually assaulted and physically assaulted," he told reporters outside the courthouse Thursday. He said he would not identify whom she was being protected from, but did say it was "individuals in the home where she originally resided."

He said the girl filed a complaint with the Bloomfield Police Department in 2005 or 2006 but "nobody did anything." Georgetti said it is his understanding that is why she ran away from home.

Bloomfield police Capt. Jeffrey Blatter told reporters later Thursday there was no evidence that Jennifer and Jamie Hesse, Danielle's mother and stepfather, had ever abused her.

Gault filed a complaint with police more than a year ago that a family friend may have abused Danielle, Blatter said. Authorities found "insufficient evidence to support that as accurate," he said.

And, Blatter said, there was "no indication she was going to school, period" and she was "compelled to assume a new identity" under Gault's influence.

"What a 14-year-old says is voluntary may not be voluntary," Blatter said. "This was not an abduction situation. She did, in fact, run away. Mr. Gault had had quite a bit of time to influence her."

Police said Wednesday Danielle had a "tough" life involving drugs and had a history of running away from home.

Others accuse suspect, police say

Authorities said they were aware of three people who had "suspicious associations" with Gault before the girl was found. After the news of her discovery broke, Blatter said, they "received calls from multiple people in and out of the state claiming to be abused by Gault when they were young."

West Hartford police Capt. Lori Coppinger said Gault was never charged in previous cases because "there was some reluctance to have people come forward with information."

Murphy and Cray assumed some of Danielle's care, Blatter said. "They were aware she was not Gault's child. They knew what was going on."

"The bottom line is, Danielle is back," Needelman told reporters. "She appears safe, she appears sound, happy and looking forward to being reunited with her family."

Jennifer Hesse said she had been living "every parent's nightmare. ... I could never describe the horror of losing a child and having to maintain a family at the same time and continuing to go on."

Danielle remained Thursday in the custody of child welfare officials, who were in the process, along with psychiatrists, of deciding on how best to reintroduce her to her family. Police, mindful of her mental health, are limiting the amount and depth of questioning, although she has been talking to investigators, Bloomfield police Lt. Matthew Willauer told reporters.

"This is about the daughter," Blatter said. "This is not about withholding her from the parents."

Needelman agreed. "The trauma's been significant, and clearly we're getting the help of professionals."

Jennifer Hesse said she is willing to wait for her daughter's return home in order to ensure it is done in her best interest.

"She knows we love her. I've told her," she said. "I never want to let her go again, and I have no intention of letting her go. She's my girl. I love her so much. Not every parent gets this opportunity to have a happy ending."

She said she always believed Danielle was alive -- and that Gault was involved in her disappearance.

Asked about the allegations, she replied, "There's a lot of allegations out there. Trying to filter through them, that's going to be fun."

Girl taken out of state, say police

Danielle is not believed to have been kept in the house for the entire year, Blatter said. Gault is believed to have taken her out of state on at least one occasion, he said. The FBI will be looking into those trips.

Gault is a former co-worker of Jamie Hesse, Blatter said.

He had been interviewed several times in connection with the girl's disappearance, and was still considered a suspect, Blatter said. He had refused police permission to look inside his home. The search warrants that police brought to the house Wednesday were for a DNA swab and other evidence, police said.

Those warrants were obtained, Blatter said Thursday, after police received some new evidence "that got us over the hurdle of probable cause." That evidence involved "biological fluids," he said, but would not elaborate. (Watch officer describe girl's recovery )

While police were at the house, an investigator pushed a large dresser aside and found the small locked room, police said. The girl was seated inside, but there was no evidence, such as bedding, to suggest that was where she had been kept, police said.

Another child, a 15-year-old boy, lived in the house and was placed in the custody of child welfare workers, officials said. Blatter said Thursday the boy is Gault and Murphy's son, but the boy is not believed to be involved in Danielle's disappearance.