Another defendant identified as being involved in a 2021 kidnapping of a Wolf Point girl changed her plea in federal court.
Elmarie Amelia Weeks, 22, pleaded guilty to kidnapping of an individual under 18-years-old. She is detained until further court proceedings. She is one of six individuals charged with abducting a teenage girl from her home and later leaving her in a field outside of town, documents state.
Lavanchie Patricia Goodbird has pleaded guilty in connection to the case. She is also detained.
Under federal law, both are facing a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison.
In court documents, the government alleged that Weeks aided and abetted in the Sept. 15, 2021 kidnapping of a 15-year-old minor girl from her house by a group of individuals.
That evening, after drinking alcohol, Weeks accompanied the group of individuals to the victim’s house, documents state.
Co-defendant Cheri Cruz Granbois offered to pay another co-defendant, Kaylee Jade Jackson, money to “beat up” the victim, documents state.
As a result, the victim was lured out of the house and the situation escalated. Some individuals in the group assaulted the victim. When eyewitnesses yelled that they were going to call the police, some of the group kidnapped the victim, forcing her into a vehicle and driving away to continue the assault.
Weeks helped to seize, confine or abduct the victim. The vehicle took the victim to a vacant field in Wolf Point, where some in the group beat the victim again.
Four other co-defendants have pleaded not guilty and are pending trial, including Granbois, Jackson, Dylan Troy Jackson and Patti Jo Annunciata Mail.
