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January 11, 2013

Iowa Falls woman pleads to taking child

By Rachel Petersen Staff Writer

McALESTER — An Iowa Falls woman pleaded no contest recently to taking a child.

Courtney Kappel, 32, of Iowa Falls, Iowa, was entered the plea Tuesday in Pittsburg County District Court to one felony count of violation of a child custody court order. She was fined $5,050, with $4,000 suspended, and judgment and sentencing were deferred for two years.

On Dec. 4, Kappel posted a $10,000 bond and was released from custody at the Pittsburg County jail. She was scheduled to appear in court on the charge on Dec. 28, however, Kappel failed to appear and Special District Judge Tim Mills issued a no bond warrant for Kappel’s arrest. The warrant was recalled when Kappel appeared in court Tuesday and entered the no contest plea.

Kappel had first been arrested in Iowa and extradited to Pittsburg County in early December.

According to court documents, on Oct. 26 Kappel picked up her 6-year-old daughter for a visit from the Pittsburg County home where the child lives with her father.

The court documents state that when the father called to check on the child, Kappel told him she would not be returning the child to him.

On Oct. 30 and 31, a court affidavit says, the father called to report the abduction.

The father told police Kappel was to have brought the child back Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. and she did not do so, the affidavit states.

The father had also been in contact with police in Iowa Falls. Police there told him Kappel had been arrested for not telling them where the child is, the affidavit states.

The father confirmed to McAlester police that on Nov. 2 he was going to Iowa to request that Iowa police pick up the child, according to the affidavit.

McAlester police contacted officers in Iowa, who said they had picked Kappel up in an attempt to locate the child and Kappel was questioned for about two hours, the affidavit states. However, she refused to divulge the location of the child, according to affidavit.

Kappel requested an attorney and was arrested on complaints of a “misdemeanor obstruction type charge,” the affidavit states. And, it says, shortly thereafter she posted bond and was released.

When the child’s father traveled to Iowa, he was able to take custody of the child, McAlester Det. Capt. Gary Wansick said.



Contact MJ Brickey at mjbrickey@mcalesternews.com. Contact Rachel Petersen at rpetersen@mcalesternews.com.

For more on this story, see the print or electronic editions of the McAlester News-Capital. Click here for print edition home delivery or click here to see the Smart Edition for your computer, tablet, e-reader or smart phone.

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