Community Shocked After Sallisaw Woman Tries To Sell Children On Facebook

A Sallisaw resident is in jail accused of trying to sell her children. Police say 22-year-old Misty VanHorn was attempting to raise money to pay her boyfriend's bond.

Police say VanHorn has been going door-to-door asking for money earlier in the week before police say she tried to sell her 10-month-old and 2-year-old girls over Facebook.

"There's so many people in this town that's shocked about it," said neighbor Tony Mosby. Mosby lives just down the street from where Misty Vanhorn had been staying with her two children.

He says they were living with the mother of her boyfriend - who was in jail at the time.

"She came to us around the first of the month asking for money," Mosby said. 

Sallisaw Police say she was going door-to-door attempting to raise the $1,000 for her boyfriend's bond. 

"Man, I've been doing this 9 years, and this is the first case I've even heard," said a detective who worked the case. He asked not to be identified because he also works in narcotics. 

3/9/2013 Related Story: Police: Sallisaw Woman Arrested For Trying To Sell Her Two Children

He says after Vanhorn was unsuccessful in raising the bond money, she attempted to sell one of her kids to a woman in Arkansas on Facebook. 

"It was an acquaintance she knew; she sent them an inbox message," the detective said. 

The detective says the Arkansas woman contacted child services, who later contacted his police department. He says VanHorn originally asked for $1,000 for her 2-year-old. Later in a second message, she offered both her children for $4,000. 

"I guess it's pretty common, but it's the first time I've ever seen it around here," the detective said.

"It just shocked me because I really didn't think she would be capable of doing something like that," said Crystal Mize, a friend of Misty VanHorn.

Mize says she and her husband have taken care of VanHorn's two children in the past.

"She brought them over dirty, and untaken care of, she never even called and checked on them," Mize said.

The two children have since been taken into protective custody. VanHorn was arrested and now faces two counts of trafficking children.

The detective we spoke to said they had to confirm VanHorn's intention's over the phone. He says in this case, anyone could claim their Facebook account had been hacked.

VanHorn is being held in the Sequoyah County jail on $40,000 bond.