Elaine Yates, Accused of Child Snatching 31 Years Ago, Pleads Not Guilty

WARWICK, RI —Elaine Yates, the former Warwick woman accused of child snatching for running away with her two daughters back in 1985, appeared in Kent County Superior Court this morning.

Her public defender entered a Not Guilty plea for her, and she was released on personal recognizance.

She is free to travel back and forth to Houston but was required to surrender her passport.

The arraignment was over so fast her cousin, Francine Meir Doyle, couldn't say for sure if Yates had noticed family in the courtroom.

"In and out," she said.

Doyle had come to court to support her cousin, she said.

A crowd of reporters crushed the outside entrance to the courthouse hoping for a glimpse of Yates.

Doyle said she thought Yates, 69, looked well.

Courtesy Photos from National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (Computer age-advanced)