Jeremy M. Dobson, Gunpoint Kidnapping, MO 2024

Four residents of Kansas City, Mo., have been charged with kidnapping a man and woman at gunpoint, according to Tom Larson, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

Jeremy M. Dobson, 30; Joshua A. Dobson, 25; Courtney J. Devero, 25; and Justin D. Watson, 21, all from Kansas City, face federal charges of kidnapping and using a firearm during a violent crime. Joshua Dobson and Devero were presented in court and remain in federal custody, while Watson is also in federal custody with an initial appearance set for Monday. Jeremy Dobson remains a fugitive.

The victims were reportedly tied to a pole in the basement of a Kansas City residence and beaten by the kidnappers. They were driven across Kansas, with the male victim left bound in a remote field as the kidnappers continued to Colorado. The female victim was released at a local hospital.

According to an affidavit, the incident began when Jeremy Dobson became upset with his ex-girlfriend at a residence on March 10, 2017. After being pushed away by the male victim, Jeremy Dobson produced a handgun and pointed it at both victims. The female victim’s cell phone and personal items were taken, and she and the male victim were tied to a support pole in the basement.

The victims were held for several hours with duct tape over the female victim’s mouth and threatened with death. They were forced into the trunk of a car for several hours before being returned to the house. After Watson arrived the next morning, the male victim was driven to Colorado, with Watson stopping at various locations along the way to withdraw money from the male victim’s debit card and make purchases.

After leaving Kansas, the victims were forced into the trunk of a car for several hours before being released. The male victim was tied up in a field and left there by the kidnappers. He managed to free himself and seek help at the Russell Police Department.

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