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By Joannie Kidder Globe Neosho Bureau NEOSHO, Mo. — An early morn ing kidnapping Friday sent police officers here on a seven-hour search for the victim, only to find that the victim would not press charges. The alleged abductor was re leased, but the victim, Charles Wayne Boucher, 33, formerly of La mar, found himself under arrest on five outstanding misdemeanor war rants. Boucher reportedly was abducted from a Neosho home at gunpoint about 5 a.m. Friday, according to Neosho police. The incident was re ported to police at 6:09 a.m. Friday. The alleged kidnapper was ar rested for investigation about 8 a.m., and his blood-stained vehicle tempo rarily impounded. A search ensued for Boucher, who was located by Police Chief George Kelly about 1 p.m. at the same house where the abduction occurred at Grant and Broadway streets. The victim, who had been in hiding, had returned to the house, Kelly said. After Boucher signed an affidavit refusing to file a complaint, the al leged abductor was released, accord ing to Newton County Prosecutor Gary Lentz. Boucher, however, was arrested on five outstanding misdemeanor warrants from Barton County. The incident was reported to Neo sho police by Linda Hawkins, 116 Summit View, who said a man had kidnapped Boucher. According to the Newton County Sheriff's Department, which assist ed in the investigation, reports in dicate a 33-year-old suspect came to the house, knocked and was let in. There reportedly were four other men, two women and Boucher at the house at the time. The intruder, reportedly armed with a 12-gauge shotgun, allegedly hit one of the men over the head, breaking the barrels of the weapon, officials said. Boucher was then apparently lo cated asleep in bed with a .38-caliber pistol on his stomach, which the in truder knocked aside, authorities said. Boucher was marched outside, officials said, and forced into a van. Apparently the abductor obtained another weapon, a .22-caliber pistol, and drove to the Crowder area where, officials said, blows were ex changed. According to Deputy Randy Wat son, the intruder said he drove the victim back to the house, “put a cigarette in his mouth and a can of beer in his hand,”’ and told Boucher he had better be out of state when he, the abductor, returned The van was spotted in the Cen tral School area shortly before 8 a.m. and stopped. A man was arrested for investigation of kidnapping and armed criminal action. Both the shotgun and .22-caliber pistol were recovered, authorities said. The passenger side window of the van had been broken, and there was a considerable amount of blood on the doorstep of the van, according to authorities. Police said there was also blood on the premises where the alleged abduction took place, caus ing authorities to fear for the vic tim’s safety When Boucher was located, he had a bruised cheek, cuts inside the upper lip and two smashed fingers, officials said officials initially feared that a 5 year-old girl may have been in volved during the abduction, but she was later located unharmed. Boucher faces five charges, in Barton County, of failing to pay fines and costs as per stays of execu tion arising out of charges of resist ing arrest, driving while license re voked, operating a motor vehicle while in an intoxicated condition and failure to register a motor ve hicle, all on May 22, 1983, and driv ing while revoked on Oct. 22, 1983. Bond on the charges totals $1,725.
Newspaper Details
Joplin Globe
Joplin, Missouri, US
Sat, Jan 07, 1984
Page 13
Full Page
Clipped by
Debbie P.
MO, USA 11 Jun 2026
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