Johnson County Sheriff’s deputies escorted the two men accused of kidnapping and raping one of their own to their first court appearances.
William Luth and Brady Newman-Caddell are charged with two counts of rape, kidnapping and other sex crimes.
During his arraignment, Newman-Caddell, 21, asked for a public defender.
But that wasn’t the case for his alleged accomplice, Luth. His attorney, David Bell with Wyrsch, Hobbs, Mirakian, entered a not guilty plea on behalf of the 24-year-old man.
Law enforcement have said the ordeal began Friday night just before 11:30 when the men pulled up to the QuikTrip on Santa Fe near I-35 in a blue Mazda.
They allegedly spotted the woman and followed her to her workplace—the Johnson County Jail—where they kidnapped her.
“It is a safe area and this event, there was no way to pre-plan for this type of event,” Johnson County Sheriff Frank Denning said in a Wednesday morning news conference.
Police said the men eventually let the sheriff’s deputy go across the state line near I-470 and Woods Chapel Road. She walked to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office asking for help.
“She is doing okay. Obviously we are trying to protect her as best we can because it's been a significant emotional event,” Denning said.
Security cameras at the QuikTrip helped police identify the suspects’ car. Those sharp images were circulated and eventually a tip led to the arrest of Newman-Caddell and Luth, who is married and has a son.
Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe believes other previous victims are out there.
“Studies have shown that individuals who do this don't do it in isolation,” Howe said. “I know the FBI does a lot of research in that area. I'm not going to talk about these particular cases, but we do have good information that leads us to believe why we're asking for other people to come forward.”
He added the attackers are sitting in a jail cell and won’t be roaming the streets anytime soon.
The men are being held on a $1 million bond.
If you’ve recently had contact with either Luth or Newman-Caddell, call police.
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Andres Gutierrez can be reached at andres.gutierrez@kshb.com
