Casper Man Admits Kidnapping 95-Year-Old Woman
The man accused of kidnapping a 95-year-old Casper woman and leaving her in the trunk of her own car for some six hours earlier this year entered guilty pleas to three felony charges as part of a plea agreement.
Kyle McCabe Martin, 21, pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary. The kidnapping charge is punishable by 20 years to life in prison, while the other two charges carry penalties of five to 25 years in prison.
Natrona County District Attorney Mike Blonigen outlined the plea agreement before District Judge Catherine Wilking during Monday's change-of-plea hearing.
In exchange for the three guilty pleas, Blonigen agreed to dismiss three other charges initially filed against Martin. In addition, Blonigen will not ask that Martin receive a life sentence on the kidnapping charge, and whatever sentences he receives on the three charges to which he pleaded guilty will run concurrently.
Blonigen also agreed that no further charges would be filed against Martin in connection with the March 21 incident. Other charges outlined in a court document filed by prosecutors also will not be formally filed against Martin.
Although he wants to review the presentence investigation report before deciding what sentence he will recommend for Martin, Blonigen told reporters on Monday that he will recommend a "substantial" sentence.
Martin told Wilking that he was trying to get away from people who wanted him arrested on the morning of March 21 when he got a stolen vehicle stuck near Nancy English Park. Martin then met up with another person whom he knew previously.
That other person, upon hearing of Martin's situation, reportedly advised that they break into the victim's house and steal her vehicle.
Martin told Wilking that his accomplice threatened the victim with a replica pistol, put her on the floor and hit her with the replica handgun. The victim was then bound with duct tape and put into the trunk of her own vehicle, which Martin and the accomplice stole.
Martin left his accomplice at that person's residence in Mills, he told Wilking, and then took off. Police spotted the stolen vehicle at the Eastridge Mall and gave chase. Martin ended up getting that vehicle stuck as well and took off on foot before police apprehended him.
The victim, however, remained in the trunk of her own vehicle for some six hours after she was kidnapped. Martin, while in police custody, called his mother and told her to notify police of the situation.
Police found the victim, alive, in the trunk of the stolen vehicle. She had to be hospitalized for roughly two weeks.
Following Monday's court hearing, Blonigen told reporters that Martin's accomplice has not yet been identified. He said that Martin has given three different names to investigators, but none of those people have turned out to be the person who helped Martin kidnap the victim.
Blonigen does believe that an accomplice was involved, and the case is still being actively investigated, he said. Police initially named a person of interest in the case and asked for the public's help in finding that man, but he was ultimately cleared of any involvement or wrongdoing in connection with the incident.
Bonigen told Wilking that he anticipates Martin's sentencing hearing will last about two hours.
Wilking, at the conclusion of Monday's hearing, ordered Martin held without bond pending sentencing.