Woman kidnapped in Michigan found over a week later in Utah, police say

Pat Reavy, KSL.com

GREEN RIVER, Utah (KSL.com)— A man pinch respective warrants retired for his apprehension successful nan Midwest was arrested past week and accused of holding a female against her will for complete a week starting successful Michigan, until they were recovered successful Utah.

Richard Lyneal Phillips, 38, was booked into nan Emery County Jail for investigation of kidnapping, violating a protective order, marijuana possession, driving pinch a suspended licence and giving mendacious accusation to police.

On June 20, nan Utah Highway Patrol started looking for a conveyance believed to beryllium heading eastbound connected I-70 aft a female near a statement successful a state position successful nan Salina area “stating she was beryllium held against her will,” according to a constabulary booking affidavit.

A trooper spotted nan conveyance astatine a state position extracurricular of Green River. After making interaction pinch nan driver, Phillips, nan trooper asked him to propulsion guardant to different location. Phillips was astir to fly earlier being blocked by an Emery County sheriff’s lawman who arrived connected scene, nan affidavit states.

“The driver exited his vehicle, astatine which constituent he was taken into custody aft a little standoff pinch nan lawman pointing his Taser astatine nan fishy and myself handcuffing him,” according to nan affidavit.

A “very emotional” female past sewage retired of nan car. Investigators learned that while Phillips and nan female were astatine nan state position adjacent Green River, nan female had fixed different statement to different female successful nan restroom asking her to interaction her family and police, nan apprehension study states.

As investigators sorted done what was happening, they learned that nan female “was being held against her will, and she had been nan unfortunate of assaults. The fishy was recovered to beryllium driving connected a suspended licence from Michigan. The driver had aggregate warrants pinch 1 being from Ohio showing afloat extradition” for robbery, battle and strangulation, according to nan affidavit.

The female told constabulary that she utilized to beryllium successful a narration pinch Phillips but now has a protective bid against him. On June 10, she says she was getting into her car successful Clinton Township, Michigan, erstwhile Phillips approached her and “told her to thrust him wherever he wanted to go. The unfortunate knew that nan antheral fishy was presently dodging rule enforcement owed to an progressive warrant for his arrest,” nan affidavit states.

She says they past drove to Denver, wherever she was assaulted successful a edifice room, according to nan affidavit.

“The unfortunate told maine she contacted police, but erstwhile they arrived, (Phillips) had fled nan segment pinch each her belongings successful nan vehicle. (He) returned to nan edifice aft constabulary left, and nan unfortunate was again trapped by him. The 2 of them past drove to Las Vegas, wherever they stayed for a mates days,” according to nan affidavit.

The female says she was again assaulted successful Las Vegas by Phillips, and she was capable to telephone constabulary again, but Phillips erstwhile again avoided arrest, according to police. They past drove to Salt Lake City and backmost to Las Vegas earlier being stopped adjacent Green River, nan affidavit states.

“(Phillips) kept nan victim’s telephone from nan unfortunate and would only let nan unfortunate to usage it successful (his) presence, to interaction nan victim’s children connected uncommon occasions,” nan apprehension study says. “The unfortunate besides disclosed contacting rule enforcement 32 times since November of past twelvemonth to study (Phillips was) astatine her residence. The reports included assaulting her, her children, and her children’s friends. The unfortunate told maine that only 2 of nan 32 times constabulary were capable to find (Phillips).”