Facebook Post Rescued a Kidnapped Women and Toddler
Facebook is a resource available to our society that is often used to keep in touch, share the latest news, receive opinions, an advertising tool, along with many other things. However, one thing it is not commonly used for is saving lives. In December 2011 that is just what one Facebook post did. It saved the life of a Utah women and her 17-month son.
An unnamed woman posted a Facebook status while her kidnapper, Troy Reed Critchfield, went down stairs leaving access to his laptop. She plead for help stating, “I am having a serious problem, and me and (my son) will be dead by morning” if they were not rescued. The woman told police she and Critchfield had been in a relationship for three to four years. During the incident, among the events that led to his multiple charges were he strangled his girlfriend until she lost consciousness, hitting her toddler in the head, refusing to let his girlfriend feed her dog, and sodomizing the woman.
Police arrested Troy Reed Critchfield, 33, and charged him with 12 counts, including investigation of aggravated kidnapping, forcible sodomy, aggravated assault, domestic violence, child abuse, animal cruelty and a number of other charges. He is currently in jail with a $1 million dollar bail.
In Arizona, kidnapping refers to the illegal act of taking or removing a person against his will, usually by means of force, violence, or the threat of violence. An individual can also face these charges for the act of confining, restraining or holding another person against his or her will.
The following is a list of factors that may aggravate the charges of kidnapping:
-Use the victim as a shield or hostage.
-Hold the victim for involuntary servitude.
-Inflict death, physical injury or a sexual offense to the victim.
-Place the victim in reasonable apprehension of imminent physical injury.
-Interfere with the performance of a governmental or political function.
-Seize or exercise control of an airplane, train, bus, ship or other vehicle
If you have been accused of kidnapping or if you believe that you are under investigation, you are in need of a Phoenix kidnapping lawyer. Contact us today. We can put our experience to work to negotiate with the prosecution to have a reduction or elimination of the charge. Charlie Naegle will fight for the best possible resolution in you matter. For more information on a kidnapping defense tactic, see our unlawful imprisonment page.