Kendra Panteah, a 37-year-old woman, pleaded guilty to kidnapping a man in New Mexico in July 2019, resulting in his fatal stabbing when he tried to escape from a car trunk. Panteah did not commit the murder, but she was present during the incident. Gilbert John Jr. was the one who fatally stabbed the victim and was sentenced to 21 years in prison for second-degree murder. Panteah and John had used drugs before the killing, and Panteah admitted to struggling with substance abuse.
After the victim was killed, John drove his car with the body inside to a remote location and set it on fire to conceal the crime. Panteah confessed that she drove with others in the victim’s car to buy beer, and when the victim kept grabbing the wheel, they beat him up and locked him in the trunk. While driving to Gallup, Panteah sought John’s help, and they eventually ended up at Bass Lake where John repeatedly stabbed the victim with a machete until he stopped moving. John also claimed that another individual threw a rock at the victim’s head.
Panteah faces a minimum of 10 years in prison and up to 18 years when she is sentenced in January. Her attorney highlighted the influence of drugs and alcohol in the events, stating that the tragedy could have been prevented if everyone involved had been sober. The victim remains unidentified, while Panteah is Zuni, and John is Navajo, as per their plea agreements.
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