BILLINGS — On Monday night, the Billings Police Department posted on Facebook asking residents to be on the lookout for 76-year-old Donna Prescott, who they say was a suspected kidnapping victim from Aspen Meadows Health and Rehabilitation center on the west end of Billings.
On Tuesday, MTN spoke with Prescott over a virtual interview, where she said she was not kidnapped and left the nursing facility with her two children on her own free will.
See the video for this story below:
Police say they believed the kidnapping suspects were Tama LaRay Donley and Kit Donley, Prescott's two adult children.
The alleged kidnapping occurred on Sunday and was investigated by police Monday morning.
On Tuesday evening, police confirmed that Prescott was found safe in South Dakota.
MTN first contacted Prescott and Donley in April, after Donley approached the station and claimed she was kicked out of Aspen Meadows on Easter and was prohibited from visiting with her mother.
"I made it into my mom's room, and the nurse was making sure she was all ready for church, and she was dressed and looked about ready. And the next thing I know, the nurse is gone, and the cops are in the hall, and I'm being escorted out," Donley said in late April. "The nursing staff seemed to blame it on the power of attorney, and the police seemed to blame it on the nursing staff."
When MTN initially spoke with Donley in April, she made it clear she did not understand why she was kicked out of the facility. Donley says after her initial visit with her mom, she was banned from entering the property for another year.
Following the incident, MTN reached out to Aspen Meadows, and its parent company, Evergreen Healthcare, for a comment or explanation, but those requests went unanswered.
On April 24, MTN called Aspen Meadows asking to speak with Prescott with her daughter's permission. The phone was answered, but a nurse on the other line stated, "Her daughter does not have permission to grant that to her, and I have to protect my residents. So, we have no comment, so you may not speak to her. Thank you," before the call was disconnected.
Donley stayed in Billings for nine days while she attempted to visit with her mother following the Easter Sunday event. Before she left, Donley was able to schedule an in-person, supervised meeting with her mother.
MTN did not have regular contact with Donley for about three weeks before she took her mother from Aspen Meadows, and Donley did not inform MTN of her plan.
On Tuesday, after news broke about Prescott, MTN called Donley, who said that taking her mother out of the facility was a last resort, and she alleged that Prescott was experiencing neglect at Aspen Meadows. Donley said for example, Prescott's feet weren't being propped up, she was awoken every morning at 6 a.m. but would be put to sleep at midnight.
Donley said Aspen Meadows was restricting Prescott's rights as a nursing home resident. She says that Prescott was unable to leave the facility on her own accord, that Prescott was unable to attend church meetings or have visitation with her siblings.
"Legally, I understand they can't restrict visitors, and that's 100 percent what they're doing right now," Donley said in April.
Donley was referencing federal regulations stating that nursing home resident have the right to receive or deny visitors during reasonable hours. The facility must also properly inform residents of those rights.
In May, Prescott told MTN in a phone interview that she felt Aspen Meadows was restricting her visitation rights.
For years, another relative had medical power of attorney over Prescott, but Donley successfully obtained that power on June 1, providing MTN with a notarized document.
On Tuesday, MTN asked Billings police if the kidnapping charges would be dropped if Donley provided proof of her power of attorney documentation. Lt. Samanatha Puckett said she could not confirm all charges would be dropped, but she suggested it would become a civil matter.
MTN spoke to Prescott on a video call on Tuesday to address the kidnapping allegations. When Prescott was asked if she chose to go to South Dakota with Donley on her own free will, she answered yes.
"I feel safe, loved, and cared for," she said.
MTN then asked if Prescott thought she was kidnapped by her children, LaRay and Kit Donley.
"No. No. No way," she said.
While it's unrelated to Prescott's situation, MTN did look into previous investigations at Aspen Meadows while writing this story.
The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services has investigated eight complaints against Aspen Meadows between 2016 and 2025 for violations of cleanliness standards and neglect of residents. In each instance, the state ordered Aspen to improve cleaning and staff training to prevent future violations.
MTN News has attempted multiple times to speak with officials from Aspen Meadows about the state investigations, including emails, phone calls and an in-person visit. Multiple emails went unanswered, and staff has hung up on an MTN News reporter seeking comment multiple times. When an MTN reporter showed up at the facility, a staff member ordered her away.
Both Prescott and Donley confirm they are safe, happy, and together in South Dakota.
