Bradford County sheriff on mom of 4 kidnapped at gunpoint: 'She was very smart'

A Florida woman left several pieces of evidence at her home that alerted deputies that she was in danger, the Baker County sheriff said.

Melissa Infinger was found safe 100 miles from her home in Bradford County. Deputies said her ex-boyfriend kidnapped her from her home at gunpoint and then held her captive at an inn.

Infinger was reported missing Saturday after a friend said she got a strange text from her.

Deputies said the friend called Infinger's family, and Infinger's dad drove from Gainesville to Hampton to check on her.

He said he found her car in her driveway, and the back door to her trailer wasn't locked.

"I went in, did a quick sweep-through to make sure I didn’t see anyone injured or anything and she didn’t answer. So then I call 911. Cops came out," Allen Clyburn said. "So they went ahead and issued the missing persons report without waiting 24 hours."

Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith said deputies found several key pieces of evidence that let them know Infinger was in trouble.

He said a coffee pot had been left on, and a bullet was found near her bed. Infinger wasn't known to have a gun.

Deputies alerted the public on Sunday to be on the lookout for her ex-boyfriend, James Busbee, and his gray Chevy Captiva.

A worker at the Jacksonville car dealership where Busbee bought the SUV saw the information on the news and called detectives, saying he could track the car.

It was traced to the Steinhatchee River Inn in Taylor County.

The Taylor County sheriff determined which room Busbee was in as Smith and Bradford County deputies made their way to the inn.

While Smith was on his way to Taylor County, Busbee sent a message to a family member and made suicidal comments.

"We advised the sheriff, 'Hey, he knows 11 o'clock is checkout. These thoughts are becoming very harmful, life-threatening. Our female may be in imminent danger," Smith said.

Deputies entered the room and quickly got Infinger out as Busbee grabbed a gun.

Deputies said Busbee shot himself in the head after a brief standoff. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

"She was within minutes of this probably ending in tragedy," Sheriff Smith said. "Had they hesitated for just a minute this may not have had the positive ending that it had today."

Infinger told deputies Busbee showed up to her house with a gun early Saturday morning.

She said after driving south toward Tampa, they diverted to Taylor County, where they stayed until deputies found them Monday.

"He told her that he had purchased that weapon on Thursday and had been planning this for about a week," Smith said.

Family said Infinger had recently broken up with Busbee. Court records show a history of domestic violence issues between them.

Deputies say Infinger tried to file a restraining order against him but a temporary order was denied last week because deputies couldn't determine who was causing the issues.

"She was trying to tell him, you know, that they needed to break up and that it was the end but he just did not accept that," Infinger's mom Erin Clyburn said.

She thanked law enforcement and the community for their support as deputies worked to find her daughter.

Cox Media Group