CHILLICOTHE, OH — Social media posts reporting children as missing in the Chillicothe area have generated widespread concern across the community. However, court records reviewed by Heritage Headlines indicate the situation may be tied to an active custody case.
*Hopewell Heritage Headlines Removed the Portion of the Post That Featured the Minor Children Involved in the Case*
According to available information, the children’s mother made social media posts on April 8, 2026, reporting the children as missing. Those posts continue to circulate widely online.
Court records show that on April 9, 2026, a judge granted the children’s father ex parte temporary custody of the minor children. The order was issued following the filing of a custody case on April 8.
A hearing on the matter is scheduled for April 21, 2026 at 11:00 a.m.
In a public social media post, the father, Woodgeard, stated, “My kids are safe, I am also safe… the sheriff office and my attorney will handle any issues that are going on. I will not be releasing any more information myself due to litigation.”
As of this publication, the children’s mother and original circulator of the report, Shelby Rupe, has not publicly removed or clarified her original missing persons post, despite the custody update.
At this time, it remains unclear how the timeline of events aligns, as the missing persons claims were made prior to the court granting custody, yet the posts are still being actively shared.
Separate records from Chillicothe Municipal Court show the children’s mother was recently charged with assault (M1) related to an incident reported on April 7 and may be in connected to the recent shift in custody.
Authorities have not publicly clarified whether the children are officially considered missing or if the situation is solely related to the ongoing custody dispute.
Heritage Headlines will continue to monitor this developing story and provide updates as more information becomes available.
