MITCHELL, S.D. — Two men from North Carolina were arrested in Mitchell after authorities tracked a vehicle tied to a reported kidnapping that began hundreds of miles away.
According to the Mitchell Police Department, dispatchers received a report around 5:15 p.m. on March 9 from Pierre State Radio about a possible kidnapping that originated in North Carolina. The vehicle connected to the case was believed to be traveling westbound on Interstate 90 near mile marker 364.
Law enforcement continued receiving location updates and eventually located the vehicle at a gas station in Mitchell. Officers made contact with the occupants without incident and located the alleged kidnapping victim inside the vehicle.
Police identified the suspects as 57-year-old Freddrick Corprew and 43-year-old Jay Gurganus, both from Bath, North Carolina. The two men were detained and later arrested on kidnapping charges stemming from North Carolina and for being fugitives from justice.
Authorities say the victim, identified in court documents as Heather Harrison, was taken without consent and held against her will. She was taken to a local hospital as a precaution and later released back to law enforcement as the investigation continued.
Corprew and Gurganus appeared in court in Mitchell Tuesday morning for an extradition hearing. A review hearing is scheduled for April 7 to determine whether the men will be returned to North Carolina to face the charges.
Multiple agencies assisted with the investigation, including the South Dakota Highway Patrol, the Davison County Sherif