Christopher Thomas Wiggins, 34, was formally charged with first-degree felony kidnapping in Utah's Second Judicial District Court after allegedly abducting a 13-year-old girl from Weber County. Wiggins was apprehended by Larimer County deputies near Fort Collins, Colorado, shortly after an AMBER Alert was issued for the missing girl.
During a search of Wiggins' trailer on the family's property, investigators discovered condoms, bullets, and a letter addressed to the victim that expressed "great love and affection". The letter reportedly contained phrases such as:
"You are my everything" "I will sacrifice everything to be with you forever" "If it costs me my life, you are worth it to me" "I can't possibly live without you"
The victim's parents had previously confronted Wiggins about his relationship with their daughter, after finding an explicit image he had sent to the girl's phone. When the family attempted to speak with the victim, Wiggins allegedly found them and shot a firearm at the family, resulting in a bullet hole in the back of their vehicle.
Wiggins is a registered sex offender with a previous conviction involving a 14-year-old girl. Due to the immediate danger posed by the kidnapping, police issued an AMBER Alert for Wiggins' vehicle and the victim. Surveillance tracked Wiggins' vehicle to Fort Collins, Colorado, and the victim's phone was last pinged in Rock Springs, Wyoming, before both were found unharmed nearby.
The suspect in the AMBER Alert case wrote passionate love letters to his young victim and shot at her family during a confrontation, highlighting the dangerous escalation of his actions and the critical role of swift police response.