Man gets life in rape, kidnap case

SANDPOINT — A Blanchard man convicted of kidnapping and raping his semi-estranged girlfriend continued Thursday to profess his innocence as he received concurrent life sentences.

“It’s a bunch of bullshit. I did not do this,” Joe Frederick Ransom said before 1st District Judge Barbara Buchanan imposed the sentences.

Ransom intends to appeal his convictions.

The first-degree kidnapping and rape charges against Ransom stemmed from an alleged attack at the woman’s remote cabin near Spirit Lake on April 23.

The woman, 54, gave harrowing accounts of the ordeal during a preliminary hearing and again at trial.

After allegedly beating the woman, Ransom told her make amends and ordered to call her children so she could say goodbye to them. Ransom also threatened to mutilate and torture her, the woman testified.

The woman said the four-hour episode culminated with her rape. She fled the cabin when Ransom left in the morning to eat breakfast.

Ransom, 51, took the stand at his October trial to deny the woman’s allegations, although he did admit slapping her when she spit on him.

Jurors, however, found the woman’s account to be more credible than Ransom’s.

Ransom argued on Wednesday that the allegations against him were fabricated and that the state “railroaded” him.

“I don’t mind going to prison, but I want to go to prison for what I did,” Ransom said, referring to his battery of the alleged victim.

Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall said Ransom had effectively led a life of crime and had no optimism that Ransom would be a contributing member of society upon his release.

Ransom was found guilty of attempted second-degree murder, kidnapping and aggravated assault in Escambia County, Fla., in 1996. He served 20 years in prison, where he affiliated with the Unforgiven, a large white supremacist gang based in Florida’s penal system.

Marshall said Ransom claims of repudiating his gang ties, but noted that Ransom still has a swastika and the gang’s symbol tattooed on his chest.

“We have every reason to believe that he will continue to be a threat to society,” said Marshall, who recommended a life sentence with a fixed term of 15 years.

Ransom’s counsel, Deputy Public Defender Susie Jensen took issue with Marshall’s characterization of Ransom as a lifelong criminal, noting that the Florida charges all stemmed from one incident. She added that a number of people testified at trial in support of Ransom, whom they called honest and trustworthy.

Jensen said his gang affiliation in prison was necessary for self-preservation.

“He is no longer affiliated with the gang he was associated with in prison,” said Jensen, who recommended a 15-year term with five years fixed.

Jensen further asked that the sentence be suspended and for Ransom to be placed in the retained jurisdiction program, also known as a rider. When jurisdiction is retained, a defendant serves up to a year in prison before becoming eligible for release onto probation.

But 1st District Judge Barbara Buchanan did not see that as an option.

“The court sees no other alternative than to impose a prison term,” said Buchanan, pointing out that Ransom now has five felonies on his record.

Buchanan imposed an indeterminate life sentence with 10 years fixed.

Ransom dejectedly shook his head when the sentence was announced.