Three men arrested in Kossuth County in the past week face third-degree kidnapping charges for allegedly trying to prevent a person from providing information to authorities.
Criminal complaints filed on December 31, 2018, state that the alleged victim got into a car with Joshua James Smith and Austin Allan Hammond in the early morning hours of May 29, 2017, and was taken to a rural area of northwest Kossuth County and assaulted. Afterwards the alleged victim stated he wanted to go home and instead was taken to the Goose Lake Wildlife Area in far Northern Kossuth County and assaulted again. It is alleged that Christian Daniel Whitesell was present at Goose Lake and allowed for the victim to be assaulted for a second time.
Hammond was arrested on January 4 by Algona Police while Smith and Whitesell were taken into custody by the Kossuth County Sheriff’s Department on January 7. Third Degree Kidnapping is a Class C Felony. Hammond is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing in Kossuth County Court on January 15 while Smith and Whitesell are scheduled to appear on January 18.
(Reporting by Brian Wilson, KLGA, Algona)