Plea Hearing Set in Kidnapping
*** UPDATE 9:56 P.M. *** A Mid-Missouri man is in jail for his part in a violent kidnapping and rape. Michael Wright pleaded guilty to aggressively stalking a woman and helping a group hold her against her will.Along with Wright, Tracy Stodgell and Sean Williams allegedly kept a woman hostage in a deep freeze after a drug deal gone wrong, while a fourth person admitted to being a lookout. Prosecutors are now focusing on Sean William, the final suspect in the case. He is considered the ring-leader of the entire crime. The Randolph County Sheriff’s Department said he not only kidnapped this woman but also raped her.Michael Wright struck a deal with prosecutors on Tuesday, pleading guilty plea to lesser charges. It’s the same thing his co-defendant, Tracey Stodgell, did two weeks ago. Now the two will testify against Williams at trial in February.”Well obviously they are the only people that were there at the time this event occurred is the victim and these particular individuals, I really cant speak to the facts of the case but its important to have witnesses there who can testify about how this all unfolded,” said Fusselman.Law enforcement say those vicious details are why it’s important those who are guilty spend time behind bars”They came to the motel and they forced the victim into a car at knife point, took the victim to a random residence….They bound her, gagged her, and placed her in a deep freeze,” said Mark Nichols the Randolph County Sheriff. Cops said after that Williams raped her, and then left her in the deep freezer with cinder blocks on top. Stodgell is currently on house arrest for this crime, and Wright is sentenced to prison for 15 years but could be let out in one year if he completes a 12-month drug treatment program. If convicted of this crime Williams could be looking at a long time behind bars. “Because of the nature of the charges for the sodomy and the rape he (Williams) can get life in those kinds of charges,” said Fusselman. There is a fourth person involved in this case. The prosecutor told ABC 17 News Patrick Hallback pleaded guilty in October to being a lookout person for this crime. He is now in prison for helping hold someone against their will.*** ORIGINAL STORY ***A plea hearing is set for Tuesday for a man connected to an attack and kidnapping in Randolph County.Investigators say Michael Wright was among those who kidnapped a woman from the Super 8 Motel in Moberly back in February and tried to trap her in a deep freezer.The victim was able to get away and get help.Wright’s hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Tracy Stodgell has already pled guilty in the case.She managed to avoid jail time by agreeing to help prosecutors.
