Opinion ID: 774000
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Alleged Abduction

Text: 6 Around 10:40 a.m. that morning, Jordan and an unidentified woman contacted Carolyn Howard (Howard) as she was leaving her apartment. According to Howard's version of events stated in police reports, Jordan forced himself into her apartment. Once inside, Jordan spoke on his cell phone, allegedly stating, It just went down this morning, they jacked the Lexus, we're trying to get away, we're surrounded by police. Howard told the police that Jordan was armed with a handgun. About twenty minutes later, Jordan told Howard to drive him and the unidentified woman to the California Inn Motel. 7 There, Jordan, the woman, and Howard entered a motel room where, according to Howard, she observed a large quantity of money, several guns, and two additional men and two additional women. 8 Howard claims that she was told to drive one of the three women past Howard's apartment. According to Howard, when they drove by they saw police surrounding a Lexus and a van. Howard and the woman then returned to the California Inn Motel and reentered the room. After this, the group of suspects allegedly put the guns into the trunk of Howard's car, and she then drove them to the Econo Lodge. Howard was given fifty dollars and told to get a room in her name. Howard registered and they entered the room. She then drove two women to the Quality Inn where one went inside a motel room, removed items, and placed them in the trunk of Howard's vehicle. Howard stayed at the Econo Lodge for about 45 minutes, allegedly making several attempts to leave. Around noon, Jordan requested and received Howard's telephone and pager numbers. Jordan then allowed her to leave. After Howard returned home, she went to the mall. 9 When Howard returned to her apartment around 6:30 p.m., she spoke to the maintenance man who informed her of a $100,000 reward for information about the bank robbery. Howard contends that she had no idea the individuals who allegedly abducted her were responsible for a bank robbery until the maintenance man told her what he had heard on the news. Howard then contacted authorities. 10 Howard was later administered a polygraph test in three parts. First, she answered questions on whether she knew the individuals who robbed the bank. Her score indicated clear deception. Second, she was asked whether her boyfriend knew the individuals who robbed the bank. Again, her score indicated clear deception. The third and final part related to whether Howard knew of the bank robbery in advance. Her score was inconclusive, but leaned towards deception.