PEA RIDGE, Ark — According to court documents, Michael Jacob Lane, 25, held a woman against her will for three months in a Pea Ridge home to prevent her from testifying against him in a domestic violence case.
On Monday, Oct. 9, the woman's family contacted the Pea Ridge Police Department (PRPD) saying they believed Lane was holding the woman captive, and that Lane had been charged with kidnapping the same woman in West Siloam back in March.
That family member told police the woman had made contact on Sept. 16 saying she had escaped after being held for three months at Lane's Pea Ridge home. At that time, the woman reportedly didn't contact police for fear of Lane's retaliation.
The family member told police they maintained contact with the woman until Sept. 29, when she disappeared again.
On Monday, Oct. 9, PRPD reportedly went to Lane's home in an attempt to make contact, but police say they received no response.
The following day, on Oct. 10, PRPD executed a search warrant of Lane's home, and they say although the alleged victim was not found there, they found notes suggesting "a person may have been held there with limited if any freedom."
Police say notes, found on paper plates and brown paper bags, read:
- I'm so bored and going crazy in the silence. That's when the f***ed up thoughts get too loud to be drowned out, so I have to give in to them
- Focus on being silent and don't be seen by anyone. SHUT UP. No one should hear you or see you because you don't exist so SHUT UP and hide
- ... I couldn't call ... I had not spoken to anyone in months ... I didn't know what month it was. And they said Rogers had closed the missing person case on me because you said I was in Florida ... And I still love you ... I am stupid (one thing you got right)
- I need to take a walk for some air and my mental health, also, it's a good way to not feel so depressed so much. Whatever you don't care ... I'll say less
While talking with neighbors, police say at some point witnesses saw two men take a large black garbage bag out of the home and into a red vehicle.
The day after the search warrant, on Wednesday, Oct. 11, police say they pinged a new phone number that Lane was using that led them to a home in Rogers, where they found him and the victim.
After being rescued, police say the woman told authorities that at some point during her captivity, Lane took her to the home in Pea Ridge and told her she could not leave, make any noise, or talk to anyone until the original kidnapping charge out of West Siloam had passed.
The woman said during captivity she would occasionally try to escape, and once made it to a gas station where she was able to contact family, who eventually alerted police. The woman said she was able to hide from Lane until she met an acquaintance of Lane's who took her back to him.
Police say Lane told the alleged victim she "was not to have any contact with anyone until his Oklahoma kidnap charge hearing had passed, and it was determined that she could not testify against him."
PRPD lists Lane's charges as:
- Two counts of Kidnapping - Class Y Felony
- Intimidating a Witness - Class B Felony
- Possession of a Controlled Substance - Class D Felony
- Possession of a Controlled Substance - Class B Misdemeanor
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia - Class A Misdemeanor
Lane is being held at the Benton County Jail with a $1,000,000 cash-only bond.
5NEWS will update this story as more information becomes available.
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