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Inset: Jack Waldrop (Kennewick Police Department). Background: The area near the Kennewick Police Department in Washington, which handled his kidnapping and assault case (Google Maps).
This week, a man from Washington state announced his intention to accept a plea deal in a case where he stands accused of kidnapping and threatening to murder his former girlfriend. According to prosecutors, the man allegedly lured his ex by offering her a ride for an errand, only to then ominously declare, “she was going to die today,” as they traveled in his pickup truck.
The individual in question, Jack Waldrop III, is a 57-year-old with a criminal history, having previously served a 20-year sentence for the murder of another ex-girlfriend. In this current case, Waldrop faces charges of first-degree kidnapping, second-degree assault, and violating a court order related to an incident involving his 63-year-old former partner in 2022.
Law&Crime has confirmed through court officials that Waldrop is slated to appear in court on Wednesday to alter his plea, which he initially entered as not guilty in May 2022. The anticipated arrangement will see Waldrop admit guilt to the kidnapping and court order violation charges, with the assault charge being dismissed as part of the deal.
As reported by the Tri-City Herald, this plea agreement could result in Waldrop serving up to eight years in prison. Court documents reveal he was legally required to maintain distance from his ex-girlfriend following her obtaining a protection order, which he allegedly disregarded.
In March 2022, the prosecution alleges that Waldrop offered the woman a ride to complete an errand. During the drive, a dispute erupted after the victim overheard Waldrop on a phone call, which caused her distress and fueled the confrontation.
The woman got out of Waldrop”s Ford F-150 and began walking toward a bus stop when Waldrop pulled up moments later and offered to take her home, according to the court documents. A police press release said that once she got back inside the vehicle, Waldrop “drove her against her will out of the Tri-Cities” area and began threatening her.
The pair allegedly fought inside the vehicle, with the victim falling out of the F-150 at one point, according to prosecutors. Waldrop was stomping her, yanking her hair, and punching her in the back while telling her she was “going to die,” per the court docs. He also allegedly threatened to take his own life.
Waldrop allegedly started driving toward Snoqualmie Pass while he was backhanding her throughout the trip. They stopped at a gas station and he told the victim to go inside to get cleaned up; she “sought help from a citizen” while hiding in the bathroom and Waldrop was told to stay away from her by patrons inside, according to police.
Authorities were notified and Waldrop allegedly fled from the gas station in his truck. He was apprehended in California several weeks later. His ex was hospitalized with two broken ribs and a fractured sternum.
Waldrop had a trial date set for June 13 before accepting his plea deal this week.
A felon with ties to Oregon, Waldrop was convicted in 1998 of first-degree manslaughter after he pleaded guilty to beating and strangling Angela Walker at her apartment in Salem. He was sentenced to a little over 21 years in prison.
“They know what to do with vicious animals like you,” the victim’s father told Waldrop at his sentencing, according to the Statesman Journal.
The deputy district attorney who prosecuted Waldrop for that attack reportedly told the newspaper, “This is the most classic case of battered woman syndrome I’ve ever seen. He’s dangerous and I wish we could have given him more time. If you have a spouse or a boyfriend who’s abusive, get the hell out before it’s too late.”
Waldrop’s brother Michael Waldrop was sentenced in 1995 to 20 years behind bars for running over and killing his mother-in-law, Elizabeth Claypool, as she was trying to get her two grandchildren, ages 3 and 4, out of his pickup truck, according to the Associated Press.
It’s unclear whether Waldrop’s ex who survived his attack was aware that he had killed a woman in Oregon and went to prison for it. Waldrop was released in 2018.