Pair convicted of kidnapping woman who offered to give them a ride because it was cold
Two people, including a Georgia woman, have been convicted of kidnapping a woman.
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According to court documents, on Nov. 30, 2023, a 71-year-old woman was traveling from Georgia to North Carolina when she picked up two hitchhikers identified as Stephanie Miranda Neace, 32, of Blairsville, Ga. and Jordan Nathaniel Hedden, 31, of Murphy, N.C.
The U.S. Attorney's Office of the Western District of North Carolina said the victim offered the pair a ride because it was cold outside.
However, officials said as soon as they drove into North Carolina, Hedden told the victim to drive to his car. When they got to the location, a car wasn't there.
Hedden then demanded that the 71-year-old stop the car, and when the victim refused, Hedden forced the victim to stop the car and get in the back seat, officials said. Hedden began driving.
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Court records revealed the victim began to cry while Hedden yelled at her and told her to shut up. Authorities said Hedden appeared to be high and agitated and became paranoid that the victim had a tracking device.
At one point, Hedden stopped the car, and he and Neace searched the car and the victim herself for tracking devices. Then, they took the victim's phone and disabled it.
The attorney's office said Hedden demanded money from the victim, but the victim only had $2. The victim told Hedden and Neace to take her to an ATM and they agreed.
During the drive into Tennessee, Hedden made the victim promise that she would not identify them to the police.
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During the drive to the ATM, the 71-year-old convinced Hedden to let her withdraw money from a gas station ATM instead of a bank. The victim also told Hedden that she would give the pair the money if they let her stay behind at the gas station.
When they got to the gas station, the victim took her purse and her car key fob. She told Hedden to turn off the car so the headlights could not be seen from the people inside the gas station, and Hedden complied, officials said.
As the victim and Hedden were walking toward the gas station, the victim began to run to the door and scream for help. Hedden ran back to the car, tried to use it to drive away but was unable to start the car without the key fob.
Hedden and Neace then ran away on foot and escaped into the woods.
After a day-long manhunt, the pair was found and arrested.
Neace was convicted of kidnapping, which carries a maximum prison sentence of up to life imprisonment. She was sentenced on April 14.
Hedden pleaded guilty to kidnapping and aiding and abetting.
On Monday, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
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