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Local woman safe, sex offender in custody |
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August 23, 2016 |
By Mike Weland
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A motorist,
having seen this poster, recognized two
people walking on Highway 2 in Montana
Thursday and alerted authorities,
leading to the rescue of Jada Miller,
18, and the arrest of Patrick Kennedy,
25. |
Jada Ann Miller, Bonners Ferry, got quite a ride
in the early morning hours of Tuesday, August
16, her 18th birthday, getting into a car in the
parking lot of Super 1 Foods with Patrick
Kennedy, who, she learned, was a "most wanted"
sex offender with a warrant for his arrest in
Mason County, Washington.
Unknown to Jada, the 25-year-old Level II sex
offender she chose to go off with had been
convicted of two counts of first-degree rape of
a child and third-degree child molestation. He
was convicted in 2007 of preying on a young girl
multiple times — the first time when his victim
was just four years old. During a polygraph test
he also admitted to sexually assaulting other
young children.
His criminal history also includes residential
burglary, third-degree theft, second-degree
burglary and malicious mischief.
Concerned, Jada's mother, Julie, filed a missing
person report with Bonners Ferry Police that
culminated Thursday afternoon with Jada safe at
home and Kennedy in custody.
A passer-by spotted Miller and Kennedy walking
on Highway 2 near the Yaak campground and,
recognizing them from a poster circulated on the
Idaho side of the line, notified the Boundary
County Sheriff's Office, who in turn notified
the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office.
When deputies located the pair, Miller went to
them, but Kennedy fled into the Kootenai
National Forest, prompting a six-hour manhunt
involving deputies from Lincoln and Boundary
Counties along with personnel from the U.S.
Forest Service, the U.S. Border Patrol and
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and included
the use of tracking dogs and a helicopter.
While the search was underway, federal officers
drove Miller back to Bonners Ferry and reunited
her with her family.
On the Idaho side of the line, Old Highway 2 was
shut down for about two hours as the search
progressed.
It finally ended at around 4:45 p.m. in a remote
area on the bank of the Kootenai River, where
Kennedy was taken into custody after wisely
deciding not to go for a swim. |
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