Last week, a woman confessed in a federal court to her involvement in the kidnapping of a New Mexico man, who was tragically stabbed to death while trying to escape from a locked trunk, as announced by federal prosecutors on Tuesday.
Kendra Panthea, 37, entered a guilty plea on Friday in Albuquerque, facing one charge of non-fatal kidnapping, as per court documents.
Although Panthea did not personally stab or kill the victim, referred to as John Doe, she was present during the incident that occurred in July 2019, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico.
The actual stabber, Gilbert John Jr., was said to have fatally wounded the victim. John had previously admitted to second-degree murder and received a sentence of 21 years in prison in June.
Both Panthea and prosecutors described that the individuals involved had consumed methamphetamine and other substances prior to the attack, with Panthea’s attorney highlighting her struggles with addiction.
In an effort to conceal the crime after the fatal stabbing, John drove the victim’s car to a secluded area and set it ablaze, as stated by U.S. prosecutors.
As part of her plea agreement, Panthea explained that they had taken the victim’s car, intending to travel from Zuni, New Mexico to Witch Wells, Arizona, to purchase beer, while the victim, who was not driving, kept his hands on the steering wheel.
“After almost causing the car to roll, the other passengers assaulted John Doe and forced him into the trunk,” she detailed in her agreement.
According to her statement, the victim remained confined in the trunk until reaching Gallup, where the two other passengers exited the vehicle. Panthea claimed she then contacted John for assistance and went to his apartment.
The pair chose to leave the victim locked inside the trunk while they took the car onto the Navajo Nation, where they consumed alcohol and used methamphetamine.
Their stop at Bass Lake led to a critical moment when the victim attempted to escape from the trunk, resulting in John stabbing him multiple times with a machete, as stated by both Panthea and prosecutors. Panthea noted that John had urged her to stab the victim as well, which she declined.
John later confessed in his plea deal that he indeed stabbed the victim but claimed another unidentified individual struck the victim’s head with a large rock while he was still moving after the stabbing.
According to Panthea’s plea terms, she and John remained in the car’s trunk until they determined the victim had stopped moving.
Should she be found guilty, Panthea faces a minimum of 10 years and potentially up to 18 years in prison. Sentencing is slated for January 27, according to the court records.
Notably, Panthea identifies as Zuni while John identifies as Navajo, as noted in their plea agreements. Panthea’s attorney, Arlinda Johnson, characterized Panthea as a “compassionate woman,” emphasizing how significantly drugs and alcohol influenced the tragic circumstances of the case.
Johnson stated in an email late Tuesday, “This unfortunate event highlights the rampant issues of drug and alcohol abuse confronting many Native American communities. I firmly believe that had all involved remained composed, this tragedy could have been avoided.”
