KC Reporter

A federal jury has convicted two men of kidnapping a woman who was rescued from her attacker at a hotel in Neosho, Missouri. Freddie Lewis Tilton, 51, of Joplin, Missouri, and Alvin Dale Boyer, 39, of Rogers, Arkansas, were found guilty on September 17 of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and one count of kidnapping. Tilton was also convicted of stalking.

Evidence presented during the trial showed that Tilton and Boyer conspired on July 18 and 19, 2020, to kidnap the victim identified as "S.T." An employee at Boonslick Lodge in Neosho called police on July 19 to report that a woman was being choked and dragged into a room. When officers arrived, S.T., injured and bloody, ran out of the room while Tilton escaped through a window.

Boyer had rented the motel room for Tilton without S.T.'s knowledge. S.T., who had an ex parte order of protection against Tilton, was assaulted by him upon entering the room. Surveillance footage showed S.T. struggling to escape before being dragged back inside by Tilton. The assault lasted over eight minutes before law enforcement intervened.

Officers discovered evidence of a violent assault in the motel room, including bloodstains and various items such as rope, zip ties, duct tape, pliers, blowtorches, firearms, and other paraphernalia. S.T. was taken to a hospital for treatment.

The jury deliberated for one hour and 32 minutes before delivering guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool after a trial that began on September 16.

Tilton and Boyer face up to life imprisonment without parole under federal statutes. Sentencing will be determined based on advisory guidelines following presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ami Harshad Miller and Anthony Brown are prosecuting the case with investigations conducted by the FBI and Neosho Police Department.

In addition to this conviction, Tilton has pleaded guilty in another kidnapping case resulting in torture and death just days earlier. Four co-defendants have already been sentenced: Amy Kay Thomas received 20 years; James B. Gibson got 30 years; Russell Eugene Hurtt received seven years; Lawrence William Vaughan was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison without parole.

Carla Jo Ward has also pleaded guilty in connection with this case and is scheduled for sentencing on October 3.

Tilton admitted his role in conspiring to kidnap another victim identified as "M.H." He offered money to Ward and Vaughan to locate M.H., who was subsequently tortured and killed by Tilton and others at Vaughan's residence.

Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hurtt’s property where M.H.’s body was found along with multiple firearms after apprehending Tilton who fired shots at officers during their approach.