Houston County man gets 18 years for kidnap try

A Houston County man convicted of trying to abduct a young woman from a Warner Robins dry-cleaning shop at gunpoint three years ago was sentenced Monday to serve nearly two decades in prison.

William Lawrence Carpenter, 30, had testified at his trial late last month that he was golfing in southern Bibb County when the incident happened at Master Cleaners on Russell Parkway in March 2012.

Authorities, though, said his Toyota 4Runner was seen at the crime scene. Also, the then-19-year-old woman who Carpenter was accused of trying to kidnap testified that Carpenter was the culprit.

Judge George Nunn sentenced Carpenter to eight years in prison for aggravated assault and 10 more years for attempted kidnapping. He was ordered to spend a decade after his release from prison on probation for a pair of gun charges.

"Of course Mr. Carpenter is disappointed," his lawyer, Keith E. Fitzgerald, said after Monday's hearing. "We understand the court's decision, and we're gonna decide whether we're going to appeal."

To contact writer Joe Kovac Jr., call 744-4397.

This story was originally published November 9, 2015 at 10:59 PM with the headline "Houston County man gets 18 years for kidnap try ."