The trial of a South Carolina man arrested in connection with the disappearance of a 12-year-old Safford girl last year is set to take place in Tucson in June. But there’s a strong possibility the case will be resolved before then.
Timothy Mikell Schultheis, 24, who also goes by Jackson Oden, faces two sex trafficking charges — transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity.
The girl was reported missing to Graham County authorities on March 20, 2022, after she left home that morning on a walk and did not return.
Initial speculation was that the girl, who had recently moved to Safford from out of state to live with her father, may have been trying to get back home. Her mother later said the girl had her friends hidden on her social media so that the family couldn’t identify them.
With assistance from the FBI, Graham County law enforcement officials tracked Schultheis to an apartment in South Carolina where he was found with the girl.
Schultheis was arrested March 30, 2022, on suspicion of kidnapping and custodial interference, and was extradited to Arizona shortly after.
A jury trial in the case is set for June 13, though Schultheis’ attorney, Joshua Hamilton, said it’s “very likely” the case will be resolved via a “global resolution” among all agencies, including those in Arizona and South Carolina, according to recent court filings.
“The parties in the instant matter have ironed out the terms of a tentative agreement that will resolve all matters contemporaneously but involves out-of-state attorneys and prosecutorial agencies. That process is complex but ongoing,” Hamilton wrote.
“The parties have been working and will continue to work diligently together towards reaching a non-trial disposition in this matter.”
A plea deadline in the case is set for May 26.
At the time of his arrest, Schultheis was out on bond in connection with the kidnapping of two sisters, ages 10 and 12, from their Aiken County, South Carolina, home in September 2020, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
In that case, deputies found the 12-year-old girl at Schultheis' apartment, and learned that he had previously driven her 10-year-old sister back to Aiken County, where he dropped her off at a church close to her residence, according to the release.
The 12-year-old girl was evaluated at a local hospital, where it was disclosed that she had been sexually assaulted, according to the release. Sheriff’s Office investigators arrested Schultheis and charged him with criminal sexual conduct with a minor 2nd degree.
After the investigation, he was charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor 3rd degree and one count of unlawful to disseminate obscene material to a person under 18 years of age.
