JACKSON COUNTY, Mich. – A daughter is fighting for her parents, who she says are wrongfully jailed in a maximum-security prison in Cancun, Mexico.
Paul and Christy Akeo’s nightmare began over unpaid credit card charges at a resort, which they believed had been resolved. Lindsey Hull, their daughter, claims that Palace Resorts breached their contract and is retaliating against her parents.
“They’re extorting them because of it,” Hull said.
The Akeos have been behind bars for 21 days, with Lindsey expressing her concern over the lack of communication.
“The scariest thing is they’ve been there for 21 days and we’ve had no contact with my stepdad Paul at all,” she said.
Lindsey has managed to speak with her mother, Christy, but those conversations have been inconsistent and brief.
“It’s a phone call a day; it’s very short, usually less than five minutes, and someone will tell her she needs to get off the phone,” she explained. “There are certain things that she won’t ever share with me and my brother because I don’t think she wants us to even know.”
As a mother and grandmother, Christy is known for her caring nature, often helping to deliver groceries in her spare time. Paul, a veteran who served in the U.S. Navy for 21 years, currently works for the Michigan State Police.
“We need to get them home,” Lindsey said, emphasizing her determination to reunite her family.
Lindsey and her brother are actively seeking help, with legal representation in both Mexico and the United States. They have also turned to social media for community support.
“I am blown away by the amount of people that have jumped in to help and support our parents,” Lindsey said. “I just can’t express enough how crucial it is for this to keep spreading and how much weight it really holds every single time someone shares something to not only get the media attention it needs but attention from our government officials as well.”
Republican Congressman Tom Barrett, who represents the Akeos, released a statement saying, “I have been in contact and will continue working with the White House, State Department, and law enforcement partners in Michigan to ensure this situation is resolved as urgently and safely as possible.”