CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) - A man from the Chicago area has pleaded guilty to kidnapping a Southeast Missouri State University student.
The Southeast Missourian reports that 43-year-old Jeffery Lazier pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to one felony count of kidnapping. He admitted abducting the 22-year-old at knifepoint as she sat in her vehicle in Cape Girardeau.
Authorities say the woman was held for more than six hours as Lazier drove into Illinois, repeatedly assaulting her and forcing her to try and get money from banks.
The woman jumped from the car at an off-ramp on Interstate 57 near Effingham, Illinois, and ran for help. The FBI arrested Lazier on May 15 in Yorkville, Illinois. Fingerprints taken from the victim's car led to his arrest.
Lazier also faces a host of state charges.