OK - Muskogee police officer (Mark Vernon Ridley) arrested on assault, kidnapping complaints

Mark Vernon Ridley

Original Article

01/30/2014

By DYLAN GOFORTH

MUSKOGEE - A Muskogee police Officer was arrested on accusations of assaulting, kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman at his home in Oktaha.

Mark Vernon Ridley was arrested late Wednesday, Muskogee County Chief Deputy Brandon Caster said.

Ridley, 39, was a 17-year veteran of the Muskogee Police Department, and had recently moved to Patrol Division after spending time in investigations, Cpl. Mike Mahan said.

Ridley is jailed on complaints of assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm during commission of a felony, kidnapping and sexual assault, Caster said.

Ridley had been placed on administrative leave in December, Mahan said, after allegedly assaulting the same woman then. A protective order was placed against him Dec. 18, then dismissed Jan. 14, according to court records. Another protective order was filed against Ridley on Wednesday, records show.

Authorities have not said whether that filing prompted the alleged assaults.

Mahan said Ridley remains on administrative leave.

The protective order filed against Ridley in December alleged that he sexually assaulted the same woman. Mahan said MPD requested the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation handle that case, and they submitted their findings to the Muskogee County District Attorney’s Office, who in turn called in a special prosecutor from Delaware County, to ensure an impartial investigation.

Caster said Wednesday’s incident allegedly began near Muskogee, and ended in Oktaha.

CO - Woman (Katherine Bennett) who falsely accused Windsor man of kidnapping, sex assault appears in Weld court

Katherine Bennett

Original Article

01/22/2014

The court case involving a woman who last year falsely accused a Windsor man of luring her to the Safeway parking lot along Main Street, kidnapping her at knife point and sexually assaulting her, will last for at least another two months.

A judge on Wednesday granted Katherine Bennett, 20, a two-month continuance so her attorney can further evaluate the evidence in the case, including a number of unspecified medical records.

The judge also allowed Bennett, who appeared on bond, to return to Illinois so she can be with her family and continue an undisclosed form of therapy.

Bennett, flanked by family and her attorney, declined to comment about the case outside of the courtroom.

Fort Collins authorities arrested Bennett on Dec. 10 regarding a Windsor police warrant. The woman told officers that _____ had kidnapped her from the Windsor Safeway parking lot in November, held her at knife point, took her to his home and raped her before agreeing to let her go the following morning.

Those allegations were proven untrue, according to an arrest affidavit. As a result of the false statements, _____ was arrested and jailed and has suffered great personal hardship and embarrassment, police said.

_____, who has been cleared of any wrongdoing, previously said he planned on suing Bennett and added that he lost his job at OtterBox in Fort Collins as a result of the allegations.

Bennett previously asked for her $20,000 bond to be reduced and said she had no prior criminal history or even a speeding ticket. A judge denied that request and she has since paid the bond.

Bennett is charged with attempting to influence a public servant. She remains free on bond, and her next court appearance is scheduled for March 28.

MN - Patty Wetterling: 'Miracles can happen'

Jacob Wetterling

Original Article

Our hearts go out to Patty and we hope the person(s) responsible for his kidnapping will come forward and tell Patty where her son is.

10/22/2013

By Shelby Capacio and Paul Blume

ST. JOSEPH (KMSP) - The past 24 years have been filled with heartache and uncertainty for Patty Wetterling because she still doesn't know what happened to her son Jacob (Wikipedia) on Oct. 22, 1989.

"I remember so much and then it blurs," Wetterling told Fox 9 News. "I was probably technically in shock."

Jacob was 11 years old, riding his bike with a brother and a friend to his St. Joseph home when he was snatched at gunpoint, never to be seen again.

"We will never stop in our search for Jacob," his mother vowed. "We believe the possibility that he is still out there."

To this day, the case remains open -- and to this day, the Wetterlings flick on their porch light as a symbol of their hope that he will be found.

"One day, I want to look him in the eye and say, 'I never gave up,'" Wetterling said.

Knowing just how disrupting the disappearance of a child can be, Wetterling has used her experience to try to keep other families from having to endure a similar struggle.

"Our lives changed in every aspect," she said. "There is nothing that is the same."

Now, she is the chair of the board for the national Center for Missing and Exploited Children. In that capacity, she follows high-profile cases of missing children who surface and are returned to their loved ones years later -- including the case of three women released from captivity in Cleveland in May. Currently, she's keeping her eye on the little girl named Maria who was believed to be kidnapped and was found living in a gypsy community in Greece.

"They do give me great hope," Wetterling said of the finds.

Even after 24 years, Wetterling said she believes miracles can happen. In light of that, she is asking her neighbors, friends and other Minnesotans to turn on their porch lights on Tuesday night to remember Jacob and let the good in the world shine.

"There really are more good people who care about one another than bad," Wetterling insisted. "If good people pull together, it's amazing what can happen."

The Wetterlings spend the anniversary of the abduction together as a large family, and their outdoor lights will be on this evening. As is her tradition, Wetterling also baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies and delivered them to the Stearns County Sheriff's Office.

UK - Blackburn teen’s prison hell on false rape charge

Original Article

10/10/2013

A teenager has spoken of his nine-month hell in jail awaiting trial after being accused of rape and kidnap.

_____ was freed on Tuesday after being cleared by a jury of tying a 16-year-old girl to his bed and attacking her.

The jury took just 30 minutes to clear him of four charges of rape, one of kidnap and another of imprisonment.

The 19-year-old, from Revidge Road, Blackburn, said he was abused by other prisoners and put in isolation for his own safety during his stay in HM Prison Preston.

He had been told no bail hostel could be found for him.

He said: “It was horrible. I wasn’t treated like I was innocent, I was treated like any other prisoner.”

“I got put in isolation because my name was in the paper. I was treated like I had done something wrong.”

“On the way to court I was separated in the van. The other prisoners were shouting out ‘where’s that nonce, where’s the rapist?’ I’m just happy to be out of there.”

Mr _____ was arrested last November and initially bailed to his mum’s home in Bournemouth, but he was re-arrested when it was discovered he was living with his 14-year-old sister.

He said: “The judge apologized for remanding me and said if they could find a bail hostel outside Lancashire I could stay there, but they couldn't. I’m not sure how hard they looked.”

“I can understand why the police were worried because my accuser said she was scared of me, but they could have put me somewhere in the south. I was crushed. The whole world was put on my shoulders.”

During his trial, the court heard Mr _____ stopped his motorbike when he saw the alleged victim walking near the Raj restaurant in Bolton Road, Blackburn, with two friends.

He took her to the house where his father was staying and was alleged to have attacked her. The defence said the girl had gone willingly.

Mr _____ said: “It only took the jury half an hour to call a verdict. When I heard ‘not guilty’ I was shaking and crying with relief.”

“When they said it, a few members of the jury looked at me and nodded, as if to say, ‘you’re welcome’.”

Mr _____’s grandmother, _____, called for defendants accused of sex offences to be granted anonymity until they are proven guilty, and is worried whether her grandson would ever be able to return to Blackburn.

The 60-year-old said: “The alleged victim has to remain anonymous, which is right, but so should the accused. But we got him home, and that’s the main thing.”