Kidnapping

By Melody Pettit (Salina, Kan.) A Smolan man who was shot Saturday by a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper after a chase made his first appearance by video Wednesday morning in Saline County District Court. Forty-six year old Charles Dinneen's bond was set $500,000. There was also a no contact order entered. He is to complete an application for appointed counsel and the case will be called Thursday morning at 8:30 to review that application. Further court dates will be set then.

by Kim Hynes (WICHITA, Kan.) "It's his turn to experience the hell he put me through. My life will never be the same so why should his. " That's what Joyce Patterson told a judge about the man who abducted her last summer. She pleaded for Robert Abner to get the maximum prison sentence. "Let him realize how much he tortured me and put me through.  He deserves to pay the price," she said. A jury convicted Abner of kidnapping Patterson from the convenience store where she worked.

by Kim Hynes (Wichita, KAN.) The man accused of kidnapping a Viola convenience store clerk is competent to stand trail.  Last month a judge ordered Robert Abner to a competency test.  In court Thursday, it was released that Comcare found Abner fit to stand trail. Abner will be back in court next week September 11th for a preliminary hearing. He's accused of kidnapping Joyce Patterson from the convenience store where she worked in June.  He held her captive for three days and then released her on the doorstep of her pastor.

By John Boyd (WICHITA, Kan.) The man accused of kidnapping a Viola convenience store clerk made his first appearance in court Monday.  Robert Abner is charged with Aggravated Kidnapping, Aggravated Robbery, six counts of Rape and Two counts of Aggravated Criminal Sodomy. by Chris Durden (WICHITA, Kan.) A Wichita man accused of kidnapping and rape is back in Kansas. A plane carry Robert Abner landed at Jabara Airport late Friday afternoon. Deputies then escorted him to the Sedgwick County Jail.

by Chris Durden The kidnapping and murder of a Cowley College student leads to a tougher stalking law in Kansas. Governor Sebelius signed Jodi's Law Friday. The law is named for Jodi Sanderholm. Prosecutors say the man who killed her stalked other girls, sometimes for years. The new law does the following: broadens and clarifies the definition of stalking takes out the "credible threat" requirement that only allowed police to intervene if someone was threatened creates tougher penalties for stalking.

by The Associated Press The man suspected of killing Arkansas City college student Jodi Sanderholm now faces an additional count of aggravated criminal sodomy in connection with her death. Justin Eugene Thurber already faces charges of aggravated kidnapping, rape and capital murder in Sanderholm's death. Thurber is scheduled to be back in court next week in Winfield. Authorities say Thurber kidnapped Sanderholm after following her from dance practice and drove her to a rural area, where he raped and killed her. Stay with Eyewitness News and kwch.