The second suspect identified in the kidnapping and robbery of a woman in March has been arrested and charged.
Tabatha McKnight, 37, was arrested by Idaho State Police on Wednesday night. Charges have since been filed against her for first-degree kidnapping, robbery and aggravated battery, the same charges filed against the first suspect.
According to the probable cause affidavit, McKnight and Maddeline Ovard, 29, attacked the victim at a friend’s residence on March 24 where Ovard hit the victim with a socket wrench and beat her with brass knuckles. The two women, accompanied by a third, unidentified woman wearing a mask, then reportedly stole the victim’s keys, phone and $400 in cash, and used her car to transport her to an unknown location.
A witness told police he saw a “blonde girl and two masked women approach the victim and attack her, but did not see what happened afterward. A second witness said she saw the attackers clearing out the victim’s car before driving away. Police located the belongings during their investigation. Blood was found at the location where the victim said she was attacked. Two witnesses said they both heard one of the women use the name “Tabby” when talking.
The victim told police she was beaten with brass knuckles for several hours and that her hair was shaved off. She was then taken to a third location that has been identified by the police department.
The victim said Ovard indicated she was motivated in part by the belief the victim was in a relationship with Ovard’s ex-boyfriend. She said McKnight similarly indicated that she was motivated by a belief the victim was seeing her boyfriend.
The Idaho Falls Police Department learned of the kidnapping around 5 a.m. March 25 when a man contacted police saying photos of the victim had been sent to him over Facebook. The photos depicted the victim bound and with her head covered.
McKnight and Ovard reportedly took the victim to Wolverine Canyon in Bingham County and stripped her clothing and left her outside with nothing but a sweater, a towel and a blindfold, which the victim told the Post Register she kept on to stop her face from bleeding. She estimated she was outside for four hours before Bingham County Sheriff’s Office located her.
The victim had multiple bruises on her face and several skull fractures from the incident, and has suffered from dizziness and a loss of vision. She was taken to Bingham Memorial Hospital for treatment.
Police located the victim’s car and it was towed as evidence while she was in the hospital. The victim said Hendrickson’s Towing had asked for $1,000 to return the car and told her she needed to pay $600 before they would allow her to gather her belongings.
The police department later informed Hendrickson’s that they could not legally charge the victim to collect her belongings.
Idaho Falls Police Department Public Information Officer Jessica Clements said normally the cost of towing for a stolen vehicle would be covered by the insurance company, but that the car had not been insured.
According to Clements, the detective had tried to contact victim support groups but was unable to find anyone who could support them. On Thursday the Police Department agreed to partially cover the bill for the car and asked Hendrickson’s to forgive the rest. Clements said the towing company waived the cost for the victim.
“We don’t want her ordeal to be made more traumatic by this,” Clements said.
The incident remains under investigation. Both the victim and the police department said there may have been other suspects involved in the case.
First-degree kidnapping and robbery are punishable by up to life in prison, with robbery having a five-year minimum sentence. Aggravated battery is punishable with up to 15 years in prison.
McKnight’s bond was set at $75,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. April 22 in the Bonneville County Courthouse.