Jeremy Eugene Kirby, 30, of Rison, Ark., was sentenced to 30 years in prison for a variety of crimes including kidnapping, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of a firearm after previously being convicted of a felony, and destruction of gravestones.
Kirby was also ordered to pay restitution for the damage done to the tombstones that were destroyed in Akins Cemetery during his flight from the police, Richard Gray, Sequoyah County district attorney, said.
Kirby was arrested on April 20, 2004, after a two-day manhunt by law enforcement agencies across Sequoyah County and Crawford County, Ark. Kirby allegedly shot Stanley "Sonny" Small in Crawford County, and brought Small into Oklahoma where he held Small against his will. Small suffered a shotgun blast to the upper thigh and a cut over his eye during the incident.
The search for Kirby also led to the arrest of three Gans residents, who were at the time arrested on drug charges.
Two of the suspects who were arrested were believed to be Kirby's accomplices. Those arrested included Dan Louise McKlemurry, Tom Lee Fenn, and Regina Anne Fenn.
Jeff Sheridan, Sequoyah County assistant district attorney, said the cases against McKlemurry, Tom Lee Fenn and Regina Anne Fenn are still pending.
"He (Kirby) was by far the main actor," Sheridan said.
