Dad breaks silence after children, 11 and 12, are found in disguise almost a year after they were kidnapped

A year after his children were kidnapped, a father has broken his silence after reuniting the family.

Blake Gilley’s ex-wife is accused of kidnapping the couple’s two children after allegedly keeping them away from school and listing who they had come into contact with.

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Children Adrian Gilley, 12, and his younger sister Brooke, 11, were reported missing in Missouri last March and were found disguised in a Florida grocery store last week.

“My children were missing. I didn’t know where they were… it’s the greatest fear in the world,” said Gilley, 38.

“To say I was scared and freaked out is an understatement.”

Gilley’s children told him they have not attended school since their disappearance and have been able to stay under the radar by traveling from one rural Airbnb to another in several different states.

They were found inside a Winn-Dixie in High Springs, Fla. last Wednesday with their mother Kristi Nicole Gilley, 36.

Kristi Gilley, who does not have custody of the children, was arrested on an active kidnap warrant, according to police.

Authorities were able to locate the children after a routine check of their car showed the owner was a fugitive.

Despite their disguises, the children and their mother have been positively identified, but police have not released exactly how their identities were disguised.

“These children and their abductor were in transit through the area and had no residency connection with Alachua County, Florida, nor were they enrolled in any school,” Florida police said Monday.

High Springs Police Chief Antoine Sheppard said the family were on their way to another Airbnb before they were discovered.

Blake Gilley, who lives in Texas, said he was reunited with his children on Friday, who said their mother tried to keep them indoors.

The children added that their mother allegedly told them in public to avoid speaking to people, particularly the couple’s son, who is nonverbal and has Down syndrome.

Gilley added that the children’s mother would never tell them which city they were in.

“If they were in a car, they had to keep their heads down. My son still does it,” he said, adding that his son doesn’t look anyone in the eye due to his mother’s orders.

“Now he’s better. I said to him, ‘Hey, you’re good, mate, look up,'” Gilley said.

Kristi Gilley was listed as an inmate at the Alachua County Jail Monday afternoon.

Her attorney, Maurice McDaniel, said Kristi will fight extradition to Missouri because she wants to become a Florida resident.

Kristi has denied the allegations against her, according to McDaniel, claiming she has not restricted her children’s interactions with others.

Florida court records show that Kristi Gilley pleaded not guilty and was being held without bail.

Kristi and Blake Gilley divorced in 2016, with Kristi allegedly disappearing last year before a custody battle could be resolved.

A probable statement from Clay County, Missouri revealed that the couple shared custody prior to April 14, 2022.

However, Blake Gilley was awarded full custody after Kristin failed to appear in court.

At the time, Kristi and her children lived with Kristi’s sister in Liberty, Missouri.

“Kristi had been making it increasingly difficult for Blake to visit or speak with the children for quite some time and, as of 3/15/2022, has refused to even let Blake visit or speak with the children,” a court report said.

On July 13 of the same year, a parental kidnapping warrant was filed against Kristi Gilley.

The children were not physically harmed, Blake Gilley said, but “they are still in shock.”

His goal is to get his kids into counseling and back to school “to give them a fighting chance in life.”

Gilley also thanked the police for finding his children.

“You busted your ass,” he said.