Court records: Gold, money disappears from Lafayette kidnapping suspect's home

An unknown amount of gold and silver has apparently vanished from the Mississippi home of a Lafayette kidnapping suspect.

Representatives for Schanda Handley opened a safe on Sept. 15 at the Woodville, Mississippi camp that belongs to Handley and her estranged husband, Michael Handley, according to new court filings.

The gold, silver and cash that had been in the safe was gone, documents said.

“Instead of the parties’ community assets, the safe contained an arsenal of assault weapons and guns that Mrs. Handley neither purchased nor was she previously aware of their existence,” her attorneys wrote in a filing.

The bizarre discovery is the latest twist in a strange saga between the Handleys.

The couple have been embroiled in a bitter divorce since this spring. Schanda Handley has alleged Michael was unfaithful, abusive and used prescription drugs to excess.

Michael has leveled his own allegations, including that Schanda attacked him with a fire extinguisher and shot two bullet holes in the walls of the Woodville home earlier this year.

Authorities have alleged Michael masterminded the Aug. 6 kidnapping of Schanda from their Lafayette home and hired two Mississippi men to carry out the abduction. He was arrested in a Slidell motel on Aug. 11 and was indicted last week on multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. He remains in the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center.

BACKGROUND: Lafayette millionaire's charmed life implodes in strange kidnapping tale | Records show Handley bragged about money while renting van to kidnap wife | Suspect threatened 'Armageddon' in weeks before abduction

The two alleged kidnappers, Sylvester Bracey and Arsenio Haynes, fatally drowned near Baton Rouge while trying to escape police.

In a hearing earlier this month, attorneys for Michael Handley argued he should have access to his money to pay for his legal defense. Handley is a wealthy businessman who launched Townsend, a successful series of addiction recovery centers.

The parties tentatively agreed to allow some of Michael Handley’s money to be deposited directly to one of his attorneys. However, the new motion, filed this week, asks a judge to reconsider that decision.

Besides the mysterious gold-for-weapons swap in the Woodville safe, the motion alleged that on or around Sept. 14, Michael Handley “offered to use community funds to pay a large sum of money towards the bond of a fellow inmate at Lafayette Parish Correctional Center.

“At the very least, this newly discovered information evidences Mr. Handley’s intention to use community funds inappropriately once this Honorable Court allows access to those funds,” the motion reads.

The court documents did not immediately indicate a judge’s decision on the matter.