During a press conference, Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal explained why his office no longer believes the evidence supports continuing the felony case against 24-year-old Michael Garrison Raine.
Neal presented several angles of Costco surveillance footage from Nov. 24 that do not support an attempted kidnapping claim. Investigators did not have these angles when Raine was arrested, and Neal said the new footage changed his analysis of the case.
The videos show Raine stepping away from a display table with a cart nearby. He briefly pushes the cart around a corner, and the baby’s mother reaches him seconds later. Neal said the earlier single camera view created understandable concern, but the additional footage does not clearly show criminal intent.
“For a prosecutor, the question is whether a rational person could say, beyond a reasonable doubt, that a crime occurred,” Neal said. “After reviewing all of the evidence, we cannot make that claim.”
Neal said Raine did not attempt to leave the store after the incident. Records show he continued shopping and later ate in the food court.
Police originally viewed Raine’s behavior as suspicious, especially after learning he traveled to a Marine Corps recruiting station in Boise the next day. Idaho Falls Police Chief Bryce Johnson said officers made the arrest based on the limited evidence they had and on concerns for public safety.
“That does not end the case,” Johnson said. “Probable cause begins the investigation. It does not close it.”
Neal also discussed the mother’s involvement. Detectives conducted a cognitive interview, allowing her to narrate events without prompts, and later reenacted the incident with her inside Costco. Neal said some of her remembered details did not match the camera footage, which he described as a normal effect of stress and shock.
Many of Raine's friends and acquaintances, who know him as Garrison, his middle name, have maintained that they did not believe him guilty and believed his story that he just 'spaced out'.
"The Garrison I know is not capable of kidnapping a child," said Charity Knudson, who originally met Raine at the Chinese conversation lab on campus and has been his friend for several years. "Honestly, he can be a bit socially awkward sometimes... maybe he was just... super tired, or [had his] head in the clouds."
The mother, Natalie Millett, was notified that the charge will be dismissed. In a statement shared by prosecutors, she said the experience caused emotional pain beyond what she could describe and expressed gratitude that she found her baby quickly. She said she feels at peace knowing she did everything she could.
A major theme of the press conference was the online reaction. Both Neal and Johnson condemned the hostility directed at Raine, Millett and others involved. Neal said the volume of social media attacks has distorted public understanding of the case and called the comments “poison.”
Neal also confirmed that his office intends to release the surveillance footage to the public since the case will most likely be dismissed. He said transparency is appropriate now that the evidence can no longer prejudice an active prosecution.
Neal said the dismissal will be filed without prejudice. This means charges could be reconsidered if significant new evidence appears, although he does not expect that outcome.
Great reporting!