A 39-year-old Excelsior Springs, Missouri, man accused of kidnapping a woman in Kansas City and holding her hostage for weeks made his first court appearance today after being charged with kidnapping, rape and second-degree assault.
Clay County Circuit Court Judge Louis Angles entered a plea of not guilty on behalf of Timothy Haslett Jr. and appointed the Office of the Public Defender to represent him.
The alleged victim told police that Haslett picked her up on Prospect Avenue in early September. She said that Haslett then locked her in a small room in the basement of his house and bound her wrists and ankles in handcuffs. She told police he beat and raped her frequently.
The woman escaped Friday morning when Haslett left the house to take a child to school, according to a probable cause statement filed by an Excelsior Springs police detective. She told police that there were two other victims.
Police took a locked metal collar off of the woman when they reached her, the probable cause statement said. She pointed out Haslett’s house on the way to a hospital.
Police found numerous firearms when they searched the house on Friday. After removing bags of possible evidence from the property, they boarded up the house.
Police are withholding comment about other possible victims, but said they were investigating Haslett for additional crimes.
