A federal jury in Asheville delivered a guilty verdict late yesterday against Stephanie Miranda Neace, 32, of Blairsville, Georgia, for her role in the 2023 kidnapping and robbery of a 71-year-old woman. The announcement was made today by U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, Russ Ferguson.
Neace’s co-defendant, Jordan Nathaniel Hedden, 31, of Murphy, North Carolina, had previously pleaded guilty to kidnapping and is scheduled for sentencing on April 14th.
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The announcement was jointly made by U.S. Attorney Ferguson and Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina.
“This was a frightening crime against an elderly victim who was just trying to help out of the kindness of her heart,” stated U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “People who commit crimes like this affect how we treat one another, and we are committed to bringing them to justice.”
According to court documents, trial evidence, and witness testimony, the incident occurred on November 30, 2023. The victim, while driving from Georgia to North Carolina, encountered Neace and Hedden walking and offered them a ride due to the cold weather.
After the defendants accepted the ride and entered North Carolina, Hedden directed the victim to drive to his supposed vehicle. Upon arrival at the location, no car was present. Hedden then ordered the victim to stop, and when she refused, he forcibly made her move to the back seat and took control of the vehicle.
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Evidence presented at trial revealed that the victim began to cry, prompting Hedden to yell and demand silence. Hedden, appearing agitated and possibly under the influence, became paranoid that the victim possessed a tracking device. The pair stopped the car and searched both the vehicle and the victim for such a device before confiscating and disabling her phone. Hedden also demanded money, but the victim only had $2.
Fearing for her safety, the victim suggested going to an ATM, and the defendants agreed. During the drive into Tennessee, Hedden made the victim promise not to identify them to the police.
As they approached an ATM, the victim convinced Hedden to stop at a gas station ATM instead of a bank. She offered them her money in exchange for being allowed to stay safely at the gas station. Upon arrival, the victim took her purse and car key fob. She instructed Hedden to turn off the car to conceal their presence from people inside the gas station, and he complied. As the victim and Hedden walked towards the gas station, the victim suddenly ran to the door, screaming for help.
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Hedden fled back to the car but was unable to start it without the key fob. Both Hedden and Neace then escaped on foot into the woods. They were apprehended by authorities several days later.
Neace’s conviction for kidnapping carries a maximum sentence of up to life imprisonment. Hedden’s sentencing for his guilty plea to kidnapping is scheduled for April 14, 2025. Both individuals remain in custody awaiting their respective sentencing hearings.
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