Muldrow man facing kidnapping

A Muldrow man is facing a felony kidnapping charge in Sequoyah County District Court after he allegedly confined/imprisoned another individual against their will.

Jimmy D. Skelton, 41, was charged on Jan. 29 and a warrant was issued for his arrest the same day. Special Judge Matt Orendorff set Skelton’s bond at $5,000 and following a Feb. 5 arraignment with Associate District Judge Kyle Waters, he is now scheduled for a Feb. 19 felony disposition docket.

Muldrow Police officer Richard Matthews reported on Jan. 20 he was dispatched to a residence on S. Caddo in reference to a welfare check on an in- dividual with high-functioning autism. At the residence, a woman answered the door and the individual came outside to speak with police. Matthews told the individual that they were there to check on him and make sure that he was okay.

According to the individual, they had been at the residence for a while and were supposed to have left on Jan. 19. The individual claimed they’d lost the key to their vehicle and were unable to leave. When the officer asked them if they wanted to leave and go somewhere else for the night, the individual wanted to but did not want to leave their vehicle. After speaking with a relative, the individual decided to leave the residence and go to a motel.

According to the individual, when they tried to leave Skelton began making statements, such as ‘you’re really going to leave me’ and ‘don’t do this to me,’ allegedly trying to make the individual stay there with him, according to the probable cause affidavit filed in the case.

The individual claimed he and Skelton had met on the online app Grinder and Skelton had talked the individual into coming to Muldrow. It was also alleged that Skelton was using the individual’s phone to text the individual’s friends and mother while they were asleep, saying some “strange things.”

When Skelton was questioned about the individual’s missing key, he reportedly became angry and said the individual was lying. According to the affidavit, Skelton also allegedly told the individual that he might be his (Skelton’s) son, but then admitted that he told him that just to get him to his residence.

If found guilty of the charge, District Attorney Jack Thorp said the crime is punishable by imprisonment for up to 20 years.