Woman pleads guilty to murder of kidnapped and wounded man – NBC New York

A woman pleaded guilty last week to her role in the kidnapping of a New Mexico man who was then kept locked in a trunk and fatally wounded as he tried to escape, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.

Kendra Pantea, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping without death Friday in federal court in Albuquerque, according to court records.

Pantea did not kill or cut the victim, identified only as John Doe, during the July 2019 incident, but she was there, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico said.

Another man, Gilbert John Jr., fatally stabbed the victim, prosecutors said. In June, John was sentenced to 21 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder.

The couple used drugs, including methamphetamine, before the killing, according to Panti and prosecutors, and Panti’s attorney said she struggled with substance abuse.

After killing the victim, John drove the man’s car with his body to a remote area and set it on fire in an attempt to cover up the crime, the US Attorney’s office said.

In the plea agreement, Panthea said she was driving with others in the victim’s car from Zuni, New Mexico, to Witch Wells, Arizona to buy beer, while the victim, who was not driving, continued to grab the wheel.

“After nearly rolling the car, the other occupants of the car put John Doe in the trunk after beating him,” she said in the plea agreement.

Panthea said two other people got out as she drove to Gallup and the man was still locked in the trunk, according to the plea agreement.

That’s when she asked John for help and went to his apartment, according to the court document.

They both drove to Navajo country in the man’s car, which was still locked in the trunk, and consumed alcohol and meth while driving, she said.

They stopped near Bass Lake, where the victim began to struggle out of the trunk and John struck him several times with the machete, Panthea and prosecutors said. Panthea said John wanted her to stab the victim as well, but she refused.

In his plea agreement, John admitted to stabbing the victim, but also said that the person he was with — who was not identified in the document — threw a large rock at the victim’s head after she was wounded and was still moving.

He and Panthea sat in the trunk of the car until the victim stopped moving, according to Panthea’s plea agreement.

Panteach faces at least 10 years in prison when she is sentenced, and a potential maximum of 18 years. According to court documents, the verdict is set for January 27.

Panteach is Zuni and John is Navajo, and they each signed a plea agreement.

Panty’s attorney, Erlinda Johnson, called her a “good woman” and said the events in the case were heavily influenced by drugs and alcohol.

“This tragic case exemplifies the substance and alcohol abuse issues that many of our Native American communities struggle with,” Johnson said in an email Tuesday night. “I strongly believe that this tragedy would not have happened if all those involved had been sober.”

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