Kendra Panteah, a 37-year-old woman, pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping not resulting in death in connection to the kidnapping and fatal stabbing of a man identified as John Doe in New Mexico in July 2019. Panteah did not kill or stab the victim, but was involved in the incident where another man, Gilbert John Jr., fatally stabbed the victim. Panteah and John had used drugs, including methamphetamine, before the killing. After the murder, John drove the victim’s car with his body inside to a remote location and set it on fire to cover up the crime. Panteah admitted in her plea agreement that she was driving with others in the victim’s car, and the man was put in the trunk after causing a disturbance while she was driving from Zuni, New Mexico, to Witch Wells, Arizona. Panteah and John then drove the man’s car, with him still in the trunk, to Bass Lake where the victim broke out of the trunk and was repeatedly stabbed by John. Panteah faces a minimum of 10 years in prison when sentenced, potentially up to a maximum of 18 years. Her attorney emphasized that the tragic events were influenced by drugs and alcohol, calling attention to the substance abuse problems in Native American communities.
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