A Hall County woman who reported she was kidnapped at gunpoint, held against her will, and the victim on sexual battery has been arrested in Habersham County after parts of her story were determined to be unfounded.
Miracle Chyanne Bishop, 20, of Gainesville is charged with one felony count of false statements for her misleading of the investigation, and one misdemeanor count of false report of a crime, said Habersham County Sheriff’s Lt. Matt Wurtz.
On Aug. 20, Bishop filed a report with the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office regarding the incident earlier in the day in the area of Alto-Mud Creek Road.
“According to Bishop, Douglas Burton, 61, of Alto stopped his pickup truck where she was walking along Mud Creek Road and forced her into the truck by threatening her with a gun,” Wurtz said. “Bishop further reported that Burton took her to his residence, forced her inside the residence, and made several sexual advances toward her. While Burton went to retrieve something from another room in the residence, Bishop ran out of the residence and into the surrounding wood line.”
Habersham County sheriff’s investigators found sufficient evidence to establish probable cause for Burton’s arrest.
Initially, Burton was charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment, pointing a gun at another, and sexual battery, detention center records show.
Reduction or dismissal of charges against Burton is forthcoming, Wurtz said.
“Following the arrest of Burton, additional information was discovered that led investigators to re-interview the complainant to ensure the full integrity of the case and to pursue the complete truth through vigilant investigation,” Wurtz said. “During this re-interview, investigators were able to obtain information from the alleged victim that maintained the facts surrounding the sexual battery but diluted the veracity of the circumstances surrounding the kidnapping, false imprisonment and weapons charge.”
Bishop remained in the Habersham County Detention Center Monday night.
