Officials believe that Wyatt Nordrum, 7, has been abducted by his father, who is originally from International Falls
Fearing for the safety of his grandson, Fort Frances resident Randy Wilde is asking for the public’s help in finding 7-year-old Wyatt Nordrum.
The boy has been at the heart of a bitter 14-month custody battle between his mother, Candace Nordrum, originally from Fort Frances, and his father, James Nordrum Jr., 41, of Brookston, Minn.
The boy is now the focus of a search that began last week, March 27, when the boy’s father failed to attend a court hearing in Duluth where he was to turn the child over to his mother.
On Friday, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office issued an arrest warrant for Nordrum for felony deprivation of parental rights.
James Leon Nordrum Jr. is originally from International Falls; he graduated in 1988 from Cloquet Senior High, according to his Facebook page.
The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office has stated that it is believed that the boy is with his father, who they say has had mental health issues in the past and has “indicated he would harm (the) child if he lost custody,” according to reports.
Wilde says he and his family in Fort Frances fear for the child’s safety and are asking for the public’s help.
“What we’re hoping is that if someone sees Wyatt, call the police,” said Wilde from his Bear’s Pass home Monday. “Or we’re just asking Jim to return him — go to a hospital or a store and ask them to call and turn around and leave. We don’t care about Jim. We just want to get Wyatt back and make sure he is safe.”
Wilde said his family has been staying close to the phone in the event that Wyatt may call. It’s been a pretty stressful time for the family, said Wilde. He said Candace has returned to her home in Steinbach, Manitoba.
“If somebody knows where (Wyatt) is, after reading the story and learning the facts, we hope they’ll say Wyatt needs to be with his mom, that’s what the courts have ruled, and call the police,” Wilde said.
James Lee Nordrum Sr., 59, Wyatt’s paternal grandfather, was arrested Friday on a warrant from Roseau County, according to reports. The arrest stems from a gun, believed to have been earlier in the possession of Nordrum Sr., that was found in Candace Nordrum’s vehicle in 2011 as she attempted to cross the U.S.-Canada border in Warroad.
Candace Nordrum claimed the two Nordrum men attempted to discredit her when at two different times they planted the gun, as well marijuana and drug-laced cookies in her car knowing she would be crossing the border.
A Roseau judge Monday set bail for Nordrum Sr. at $10,000 cash bail without conditions, $5,000 cash bail with conditions, or a $30,000 surety bond. As of Monday, he remains in the Roseau County Detention Center.
The drug and gun investigation was the basis for Nordrum Jr. losing custody of Wyatt last week, after he regained it through a court order last fall.
A plea for the return of the child by Terri Port Wright, Nordrum Jr.’s attorney, was quoted in a Duluth newspaper last week.
James Nordrum Jr.’s family issued a news release last week to some media outlets. The news release disputes some of the reports about Nordrum Jr.
The release, according to news reports, say that the child is not in danger with his father and that Nordrum Jr. has never made statements about hurting Wyatt.
In addition, the release said that mental health issues reportedly suffered by Nordrum Jr. stem from war duty during the Gulf War and involve depression.
