Kendra Panteah, a 37-year-old woman, pleaded guilty to kidnapping a man named John Doe in New Mexico in July 2019. The victim was locked in a trunk and fatally stabbed when he tried to escape by Gilbert John Jr. who was later sentenced to 21 years in prison for second-degree murder. Panteah was present during the incident but did not carry out the murder. The pair had consumed methamphetamine before the killing, and Panteah struggled with substance abuse. After the killing, John drove the victim’s car with the body in it to a remote location and set it on fire to cover up the crime. Panteah admitted that she was driving with others in the victim’s car when he was put in the trunk after causing trouble during the drive. They drove to the Navajo Nation where John repeatedly stabbed the victim with a machete, and another person threw a rock at him. Both Panteah and John sat on the trunk of the car until the victim stopped moving. Panteah faces at least 10 years in prison when she is sentenced, potentially up to a maximum of 18 years. Her attorney mentioned that the tragedy was influenced by drug and alcohol abuse, highlighting the issues faced by Native American communities. Both Panteah and John identified themselves as members of Native American tribes in their plea agreements.
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