Kidnap Plan No `Whim' -- Suspect Allegedly Had Spoken Of Plan To Go Away With Boy

The father of an 8-year-old boy abducted from outside a Lynnwood school this week believes his son is not in grave danger, even though authorities say the child may have been taken overseas by a 19-year-old man who is charged with molesting the boy last summer.

"I don't think that he'll hurt my son," said David Sullivan of the suspect, Jason J. Murphy, 19, of Edmonds. "I think he sees him as his own son. He feels entitled to him for some reason."

Murphy, who authorities say had plans to flee with the child to England or Australia, was charged yesterday with kidnapping and molesting the boy.

Sullivan, of Seattle, said Murphy is "obsessive and possessive" of the boy, Nicholas "Niki" Sullivan. Murphy and the child met in the summer of 1994 when Murphy was a counselor at a day camp the boy attended.

"Niki" Sullivan, was abducted Wednesday morning after his mother dropped him off at Hazelwood Elementary School in Lynnwood.

Authorities know of no witnesses to the abduction, which appears to have taken place outside the school a few minutes after classes began at 9:10 a.m.

But the search immediately focused on Murphy, a family acquaintance. The boy's mother once told school officials that Murphy was the boy's brother.

Two parents dropping off their children at the school about 9:10 a.m. reported seeing a maroon car in the area similar to a car police have associated with Murphy, said Sylvia Soholt, spokeswoman for the Edmonds School District, which serves Lynnwood.

Yesterday morning, authorities at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport found a 1990 burgundy Buick Century in the airport parking garage, a vehicle that may be linked to Murphy. Investigators were checking airline passenger lists but had no proof the pair had boarded a plane, said Snohomish County Sheriff's spokeswoman Jan Jorgensen. It was possible the car was left there as a ruse, she said.

Jorgensen said Los Angeles media would be notified of the abduction because of a possibility Murphy took the boy to California. Murphy, a freshman at Seattle Pacific University, was arrested last year for investigation of burglary and forgery and was to stand trial Wednesday, the day he and the boy disappeared. He was charged in connection with the theft of computer equipment from local schools, and for using a principal's stolen checkbook.

Sullivan believes the approach of the trial this week prompted Murphy to take his son.

"It wasn't a whim"

"It wasn't a whim," said Jorgensen. "This was very well-planned."

Shortly before Thanksgiving, while the boy's mother, Laura Stringfellow, was on vacation abroad, Murphy went to Niki's school and identified himself as Stringfellow's younger brother, Sullivan said.

He then went to the boy's classroom and said he was Niki's older brother. During recess, the two played. When Murphy left, he kissed the boy.

School officials became suspicious of the situation and that led to an investigation by the Edmonds Police Department.

The molestation incidents came to light in late November, when Child Protective Services, having been notified by the school principal, asked Edmonds Police to investigate Murphy's relationship with Niki, according to Edmonds Assistant Police Chief Robin Hickok.

In interviews with detectives, Niki said Murphy had kissed him and molested him, prosecutors alleged in court papers.

The incidents are alleged to have occurred from June to August 1995, prosecutors said. Murphy allegedly told Niki he would go to jail if Niki told anyone about the touching.

Murphy turned himself in to police on Dec. 14 and was arrested on two counts of child molestation. He was released on $5,000 bail posted by his family. He was formally charged yesterday with one count of first-degree child molestation. The delay in charging occurred because investigators needed time to assemble their case, Hickok said.

Alleged travel plans

Murphy told a friend he planned to kidnap the boy and take him to London or Australia and said he knew how to alter passports, prosecutors said. Murphy also had bought a plane ticket to London, prosecutors said.

Murphy had sold a car and a computer recently and had about $7,000 in cash, according to Jorgensen. On Tuesday, she said, he reportedly told a relative: "Tomorrow, I'll be with Nicholas."

Murphy first entered the family's life in July 1994 when Niki was in a day-camp program for the Alderwood Boys & Girls Club, where Murphy worked as a camp counselor.

Murphy, whom Sullivan described as a clean-cut, ambitious youth who was very good with children, became fast friends with the boy. He called often to ask whether he could take Niki to work and various outings.

"That was when I began to realize that he was obsessive and possessive with my son," Sullivan said. "It seemed he wanted Nick with him all the time."

Sullivan said he discussed Murphy's behavior with Niki's mother, who told him she, too, had begun to feel uncomfortable with Murphy's attentiveness to her son.

Sullivan remembered having two 45-minute talks with Murphy about his behavior but nothing changed. After the second talk, Murphy came to Sullivan's house less often, and saw Niki when he was with his mother.

But his ex-wife also asked Murphy to back off in late September. After that, Murphy became more hostile, and Sullivan said he started to receive numerous phone calls and hang-ups.

Murphy had been visiting Niki's classroom at Hazelwood about once a week earlier in the school year.

Introduced as brothers

In fact, Niki's mother had introduced Murphy to school Principal Jane Westergaard-Nimocks as Niki's brother, the principal said.

Murphy also identified himself as Niki's brother, and Niki reciprocated, she said.

"They called each other brother," Westergaard-Nimocks said. "(Murphy) just appeared to be a very nice, polite kid."

The principal said it's not unusual for family members to visit students in the school's classroom.

But in mid-November, Stringfellow called the school and said she no longer was comfortable with Murphy spending time with Niki and being at the school. At that point, Stringfellow told the principal the two weren't brothers.

Westergaard-Nimocks said she wouldn't let him come to the school anymore, and because of the strange situation, the principal also notified the Child Protective Services.

Murphy wasn't seen at the school again.

Students were sent home yesterday with a three-page newsletter detailing the incident and outlining safety procedures at the school.

The newsletter emphasized that Murphy was known to Niki's parents and that "this was not a case of a stranger abducting a child at our school."

A meeting for parents is scheduled Monday evening at the school.

"Jason's family is extremely puzzled by his recent erratic and uncharacteristic behavior," says a statement released on behalf of the family by Seattle attorney John Wolfe. "His entire family is concerned about the welfare of both Niki and Jason, and encourage Jason to immediately contact family members or his attorney to arrange his return home."

Seattle Times Snohomish County bureau reporter Karen Alexander and staff reporter Peyton Whitely contributed to this report.