Kidnapped Carol Thomas

[Royalpurple209]

Kidnapped Missouri Woman, 23, Found Dead

Thursday, November 05, 2009



Carol Thomas

EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo. — A 23-year-old woman reported being assaulted and kidnapped was found dead, and three people were arrested in connection with her disappearance, Fox4KC.com reported.

Carol Thomas, who is from the Excelsior Springs area north of Kansas City, was reported missing Wednesday night when witnesses told police three men assaulted her and forced her into the trunk of a red Pontiac Grand Am.

Police say the car used in the abduction was found hours later completely burned out in a rural area east of Lawson, about 10 miles from Excelsior Springs.

No human remains were found in the car, and it was not immediately clear where Thomas was found.

One of the three suspects reportedly told police they killed Thomas, the landlord of a building surrounded by police told Fox 4. Police also reportedly found a stun gun at the location.

One of the men owns a vehicle that matches the found car, Fox 4 reported.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,572107,00.html?loomia_ow=t0:s0:a16:g2:r5:c0 .027649:b28722619:z10

[Royalpurple209]

Missing Excelsior Springs Woman Has Been Found Dead

Witnesses report seeing woman thrown in trunk of car

FOX 4 Web Team
November 5, 2009



RAY COUNTY, MO - Police found the body of Carol Thomas, 23, in rural Ray County on Thursday afternoon after witnesses saw her attacked and put in the trunk of a car Wednesday night. Police have not said how she died, but said they have arrested three suspects and a person of interest in connection with her disappearance.

Several witness reported that Thomas was attacked Wednesday night and then put in the trunk of a red Pontiac Grand Am by three people. Police also found a stun gun at that location.

The car was later found in Lawson, Mo., where it had been set on fire.

Police said a farmer saw a vehicle leaving a field late Wednesday night. Police began their search of that field on Thursday and located a woman's body that matches Thomas' description.

"We pretty much have all our resources working on this one incident," said Lt. Clint Reno of the Excelsior Springs Police Department. "We do believe it is all legit."

Excelsior Springs Police said four people are in custody: two men and two women. Reno said one of the women is witness and person of interest in the case, and the other three are suspects. Police said charges are expected by Friday.

Police said all suspects are in their 20s and acquaintances of Thomas.

On Thursday afternoon, the Sheriff's Department and police surrounded a house north of Lawson where a landlord reported suspicious activity. The landlord of the home told FOX 4 News that one of the three suspects admitted they had killed Thomas. Police said one of the men has a vehicle that matches the red car found in Lawson.

Police were awaiting a search warrant to enter that house.

An ex-boyfriend of Thomas' said she had planned to get a ride to Kansas City to visit him Wednesday night, however she never made it, and he hadn't heard from her since Wednesday evening.

Thomas Sullivan, Thomas' former boyfriend, told FOX 4 News that Thomas sounded nervous on the phone shortly before she disappeared.

"When I talked to her, she said there was something she needed to talk to me about ," said Sullivan. "She couldn't tell me on the phone."

Timeline of Events

Wednesday, 9:30 p.m.: Witnesses see Thomas attacked and put in the trunk of a car in Excelsior Springs (Clay County)
Thursday, 2:00 a.m.: Vehicle found burned in Ray County
Thursday morning: Suspects arrested in Clinton County
Thursday, 12:15 p.m.: Body found in field in Ray County

http://www.fox4kc.com/wdaf-excelsior...,7573991.story

[Bailey]

Reardon, Zimmerman, Saling Charged With Kidnapping, Murder

POSTED: 9:13 am CST November 6, 2009
UPDATED: 6:53 pm CST November 6, 2009

EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo. -- Three people are charged with kidnapping a 23-year-old northwest Missouri woman who was found dead in a neighboring county.



Carol "Cat" Thomas was shot to death over a drug deal gone bad, according to court documents.

Thomas was seen being beaten and stuffed in the trunk of a car Wednesday night in the Clay County town of Excelsior Springs. Her body was found the following day in a rural part of neighboring Ray County. Authorities said Thomas had been shot twice.

Clay County authorities on Friday announced kidnapping charges against James P. Reardon, 23, of no known permanent address; Jennifer L. Saling, 21, of Holt; and Erik R. Zimmerman, 29, of Excelsior Springs. They were being held on $1 million bonds; none had a lawyer.



In Ray County, Reardon was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. Zimmerman and Saling, his girlfriend, were charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action.

Separate charges were filed in Ray County because Thomas' body was found Thursday in a wooded area near Elmira.

Court documents say that Thomas got $500 from Zimmerman and Reardon for what they thought was drugs but was actually rock salt.

Zimmerman told investigators that Reardon was the shooter.

Court documents allege that Reardon got Thomas out of the trunk, walked her into a field and shot her in the head.

"I know there's going to be DNA samples involved, and some testing with evidence recovered from the scene," Excelsior Springs police Lt. Clint Reno said.

A woman who lives in the same house as the suspects but in a different apartment was home on Thursday morning when police came looking for them.

"They were looking for people that supposedly kidnapped a girl," the woman told KMBC's Peggy Breit.

The woman sent police to a back apartment.

"Eric and them were in the apartment -- he's the one that answered the door. The other two were hiding -- there's secret passages in the apartment," the woman said.

She said the whole story is disturbing.

"You just don't know who you're living with. It's kind of scary," she said.

The three suspects are scheduled to make a court appearance on Monday.

http://www.kmbc.com/news/21540121/detail.html