Abbeville man pleads guilty to kidnapping Bonaire woman

PERRY -- An Abbeville man pleaded guilty Thursday to last year's kidnapping of a then 74-year-old Bonaire woman who escaped by jumping out of a sport utility vehicle.

Larry Dean Marchant, 34, entered his guilty plea in Houston County Superior Court to the charges of kidnapping, armed robbery, burglary and theft by taking.

Judge Edward D. Lukemire tentatively set Marchant's sentencing hearing for 10 a.m. Feb. 5.

"I rarely have a client as ashamed as he is," said Houston County Public Defender Nick White, who represented Marchant. "He did give a full confession."

Merchant's co-defendant, Joshua Troy Moore of Warner Robins, is facing trial on charges of kidnapping, armed robbery and burglary. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment.

Assistant District Attorney Greg Winters outlined the crime at the plea hearing Thursday.

About 2 p.m. March 19, Patsy Joiner was taking out her trash behind her Wisteria Drive home when she was surprised by a man. Sheriff's investigators have said the man was wearing a ski mask, camouflage shirt and pants, and blue gloves.

The man, later identified as Marchant, had a black pistol, which turned out to be a fake gun, Winters said. But Joiner didn't know that when she was being kidnapped.

Marchant forced Joiner into her home and made her call her credit union and attempt to transfer money from her savings account to her checking account so she could make a withdrawal, Winters said.

But the person on the other end of the phone sensed that something wasn't right and told Joiner she would have to go to a credit union office to make the transfer. The bank representative heard someone speaking to Joiner in the background.

Marchant ordered Joiner to get in her 2007 Lexus RX350 and forced her to drive to two credit union offices in failed attempts to withdraw money at drive-thru windows, Winters said. Marchant hid under a blanket in the back seat.

Meanwhile, the credit union placed an alert on Joiner's account. At some point, Joiner wrote "help" on a business card, but no one saw it. She was told she must come inside if she wanted to withdraw any funds.

Marchant then ordered her to drive back toward her home.

Thinking he might take her to wooded area and kill her, Joiner seized the opportunity to jump out of the vehicle at an intersection on Ga. 247 near her home, Winters said.

Joiner ran to the motorist behind her vehicle for help. Meanwhile, Marchant sped away in her vehicle, Winters said. Joiner was not physically hurt in the ordeal that lasted two hours.

Moore is accused of dropping Marchant off at Joiner's home and then picking him up later after Marchant abandoned the woman's vehicle in Warner Robins, according to sheriff's investigators. After Marchant was pulled over during a routine traffic stop, investigators tied to the kidnapping a white Ford F-150 pickup that Moore was driving.

Moore was arrested on a drug possession charge, and his truck was impounded. The investigation then linked Moore to the kidnapping and armed robbery. The men made off with a large handmade blanket, Joiner's purse and her cell phone.

Information from Telegraph archives was used in this report. To contact writer Becky Purser, call 256-9559, or find her on Twitter@becpurser.

This story was originally published January 28, 2016 at 6:13 PM with the headline "Abbeville man pleads guilty to kidnapping Bonaire woman ."