Three women say they were kidnapped, robbed and forced to use drugs. One man is behind bars for the crime, but two others are still on the loose.
According to court documents, two of the victims, who were roommates, were depositing their paychecks at an ATM at a bank in KCMO in the early morning hours of Saturday, April 9, 2016, when another vehicle pulled up behind them. Two male suspects exited the vehicle and approached the victims' vehicle, a Toyota Camry, demanding money. One of the suspects grabbed one of the victims, while the other suspect pointed a shotgun at the other victim. After the suspects took the victims' money, ATM cards and bags, one of the suspects then drove the Camry with the victims inside to an apartment complex in KCK.
Once at the apartment complex, the suspect forced one of the victims into a Jaguar with the driver, 30-year-old Jamerl Wortham, and a third victim, who told police she had accidentally stepped into the Jaguar earlier that night, thinking it was the Uber driver she called for. After the three suspects talked for a minute, they forced everyone into the Camry with Wortham driving. According to court documents, Wortham drove them to another ATM, forcing two of the victims to withdraw more money. Then they went to a gas station in KCK to purchase narcotics. Wortham then drove them back to the Jaguar, during which the victims were forced to smoke PCP by one of the unnamed suspects as he used methamphetamines, according to the court documents.
The documents go on to say that the suspects and victims split up, with Wortham taking one of the victims in the Jaguar and the other two suspects following behind in the Camry with the other two victims. KCK police attempted to stop the Jaguar during a traffic stop but the vehicle fled, striking a bridge median. Wortham fled on foot but was captured by police. Officers located the victim in the Jaguar as well as a sawed-off shotgun. The Jaguar was reported stolen, according to police.
During an interview with police, the victim said she initially didn't tell police about the kidnapping when Wortham was captured because the suspects had threatened to harm the other girls if anyone spoke with police. She returned home to see if her roommate, one of the victims, had returned, When she realized her roommate was still missing, she called police and told them about the carjacking, robbery and kidnapping. She pointed out Wortham in a photo lineup to police.
Wortham was charged with carjacking, kidnapping and using an illegal sawed-off shotgun.
The second victim, who was roommates with the victim in the car with Wortham, said she and the suspects in the Camry witnessed the Jaguar crashing and Wortham being apprehended by police. The suspects in the Camry fled in the opposite direction. The suspects drove to Blue Springs, Missouri, to buy more narcotics. One of the suspects was dropped off at a gas station in the area of 65th Terrace and State Avenue in Kansas. The remaining suspect told one of the victims to drive him to a bus stop. Around 9 a.m., one of the victims jumped out of the car and fled. The suspect told the remaining victim to drive away. At one point she slammed on the breaks and tried to force the suspect out of the car. She then attempted to flee, but the suspect grabbed her by her hair. She freed herself and ran until she flagged down a motorist who took her back to her car. She told police the suspects made the victims smoke PCP and that she was sexually assaulted by one of the unnamed suspects.
According to court documents, Wortham told police that he knew the suspects only by their first names and that they had approached him about robbing someone at an ATM. Wortham said he agreed to help if no one got hurt. They eventually went to a gas station where the two unnamed suspects stole a Jaguar and picked up Wortham down the road. Wortham also told police that one of the unnamed suspects forced the victims to use drugs and that he witnessed one of the suspects sexually assault one of the victims. He also said he and the other suspects threatened the victims that they would kill them if they talked to police.
NEXT: River Market neighbors react to crime spree
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Mark Trosen has lived in River Market area for about a year. "Normally on the weekends during the day, it's busy naturally with the farmer's market, but in the evenings as well as during the week, it's pretty calm and quiet," Trosen said.
News of a kidnapping in the area is surprising for the father of a 25-year-old woman. "Well I think about the circumstances too. You know, 2:00 in the morning, somebody depositing at an ATM, need to be a little bit cautious about your surroundings."
It happened just across the street from The Blue Line, a popular bar in the area. General Manager Letty Stegall said, "I think it's crazy. You know, I think it's crazy and very dangerous. I'm so glad that we have these cameras in here because you can get four different angles of what you're looking for if something happens."
In the bar surveillance video from that morning, you see a car pull in behind the roommates and two men get out. Moments later, they take control of the car and drive away.
"It's a little unnerving," said Ashley Hammond, a Raytown native contemplating a move to River Market. In spite of the situation, she says it will not alter her decision.
"If you're aware and are not out here whenever it's slow and kind of still nights is probably a more opportune time for it," she said.
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Dia Wall can be reached at dia.wall@kshb.com.
