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I'm in a paternity/custody action against someone who told me a child was mine, then disappeared to another state a couple of months later. I was worried for the child at first but let my guard down as I thought things were going to smooth out and this would be a normal process.

Well, her boyfriend called me tonight, cussed me out for a while, then said "You don't wanna **** with me. I will shoot you in the face if you try to get custody of your daughter."

Unfortunately, I didn't get it recorded. Since I can't prove it, should I do anything about it?

I bet if I call him tomorrow I can get him to threaten me again. He's pretty irrational (probablky alcoholic and on drugs but I can't prove it). I didn't say anything to provoke the threat except that I wanted to be with my daughter.

I live in Tennessee. An old girlfriend contacted me 3 months ago and told me we had a 1 year old daughter together. All evidence indicated that she was telling the truth. Long story short, I flew across the country and moved them back here and me and the mother dated and tried to be a "family". It was actually going pretty well...

I finally scheduled a paternity test in order to make everything legal between me and the child. The mother said she was fine with it, but the day before the test I came home to find that she had disappeared with $1500 of my money. I contacted her mother (baby's grandmother) who said she had gotten in an argument with her the day before because she had came to the grandmother's house drunk with the baby in the car.

Now I have reason to believe that she is in another state with an old boyfriend who has a criminal record a mile long, a history of drug abuse and alcoholism, and outstanding warrants in my state. I believe they were planning this for a week or more, and she fled before the test so I couldn't have any control over the child.

If this kid weren't mne, I'd have no choice but to walk away, but if it is, I have to get her and give her a good home (yes I can and will provide that).

I have hired a lawyer who is filing a petition to ask the court to force a paternity test, but if she is served with papers, she will just disappear again. I assume the only repercussion would be that she gets a contempt of court charge in my state, and she wouldn't care about that.

I've spoken with the police but they can't do anything.

Is there anything else I can do?