Prosecutors say it’ll be next week before a decision is made on what, if any, charges will be filed against a northern Iowa woman who is accused of falsely reporting her daughter missing. Worth County Attorney Jeffrey Greve says Barb Krauth of Northwood prompted a statewide alert Tuesday, though the girl was with family friends.
Greve says “I’m still waiting to receive the police reports. Once I receive them, I’ll be reviewing them and consulting with the officers involved and making a determination.” Greve says it’s a serious case that involved fifteen separate law enforcement agencies in Iowa and Minnesota as part of the investigation and the search for the girl.
Early Tuesday morning, Krauth allegedly told authorities her 11-year-old daughter, Catie, was missing. After putting out a statewide Missing Child Alert, authorities were contacted by friends of the Krauth family in Austin, Minnesota, who said they had Catie and she was in no danger. The friends also said the mother knew Catie was with them.