Columbia man pleads guilty to kidnapping, sentenced to seven years

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia plan pleaded guilty on Friday to kidnapping and other charges and was sentenced to seven years in the Missouri Department of Corrections.

William Jacob Pope, 42, pleaded guilty to kidnapping, tampering with a motor vehicle and in another case pleaded guilty to property damage and harassment. He is credited with 272 days served.

Pope allegedly jumped into a car and took a woman for an unwanted ride, according to previous reporting.

The Fayette woman was driving in November 2021 on Interstate 70 and pulled over at the Drury Inn off the Stadium Boulevard exit. Pope jumped into the driver's seat after she got out to inspect her car and took her for an unwanted ride, the statement says. Pope returned to the Drury Inn after the woman's father yelled at him over the phone, according to previous reporting.

The victim was at the Boone County Courthouse on Friday and said daily activities are much harder.

“I can’t return to Columbia, Missouri, without reminders of the worst day of my life,” she said.