1998-12-16
More than eight months after leaving Amarillo car salesman Gil Reeves tied to a tree in Wheeler County, Shannon Luddington and Jimmie Hays have pleaded guilty to aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery 47th District Attorney Rebecca King said.
Luddington, 17, received 10 years probation for the aggravated robbery charge and 10 years deferred adjudication for the aggravated kidnapping charge Monday, King said.
Hays, 30, received a 20-year sentence for each charge Tuesday. She said Hays sentences will be served concurrently.
Luddington's and Hays' cases were held separately.
"There are quite a bit of differences in their ages, in their past histories and what they did in their offenses," she said. "The their punishment fit their part of the crime.
Ludington and Hays. both from Panhandle, kidnapped Reeves on April 1 while the three were test driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee from Gene Messer Cadillac and Jeep Eagle. They left Reeves in Wheeler County and kept the vehicle.
The couple eluded authorities for more than 100 days but was eventually apprehended in June in Las Vegas. They were in the same vehicle they stole from the Amarillo dealership, officials said.
During that time, both were suspected in numerous robberies throughout the southwestern states, but only Hays has been issued arrest warrants for the crimes. Hays also has an arrest warrant pending for stealing guns from a Lubbock County Sheriff's Deputy.
Warren Clark, Hays attorney, said he will have to serve half of his sentence before he is eligible for parole. The time he has spent in the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas will count towards his sentence, Clark said.
One of the conditions of Ludington's plea is that she have no contact with Hays for the 10 years she is on probation, King said.
"That's not unusual."* King said. "Terms many times disallow co-defendants to communicate or fraternize."
King said Ludington and Hays unborn child will not
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