Vermont Man Sentenced For 'Violent and Random' Kidnapping of Woman and Her 4-Year-Old Child

A Vermont man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for kidnapping a woman and her child after acting as his own attorney at trial, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont announced.

Everett A. Simpson, 46, was sentenced to 300 months in prison followed by a 5-year term of supervised release after a jury convicted him last year of two counts of kidnapping and two counts of interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle.

Simpson fled the Valley Vista treatment facility in Bradford on the night of Jan. 4, 2019, shortly after he was dropped off there, where he was supposed to undergo court-ordered substance abuse treatment in relation to another case.

He stole a nearby van and drove to Manchester, N.H., then abandoned the vehicle the next morning.

After walking to the Mall of New Hampshire, he forced his way into a woman's vehicle, driving away with her and her 4-year-old child in the car.

During his six-day trial, Simpson acted as his own attorney, and claimed he fled the treatment facility in order to search for his estranged wife, whom he believed was seeing another man.

He also admitted driving back to White River Junction, Vt., with the victims, but claimed the woman came along willingly, and could have left if she wanted to.

According to court documents, Simpson abandoned the search for his wife, and continued holding the victims. He also sexually assaulted the woman in the hotel where they were being held. Although the federal charges did not include sexual assault, Simpson faces state charges for sexual assault.

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Simpson eventually released the victims, but took the woman's car. He was eventually captured after two separate high-speed pursuits in Pennsylvania, the second of which involved a third stolen vehicle.

“The defendant’s crimes were extraordinarily serious — both in their violent and random nature," United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest said in a statement. "An across-the-board guilty verdict in April and today’s sentencing closes a dark period in two victims’ lives and hopefully allows their healing process to continue and provides a sense of security to them and others, knowing that the community will be protected from this defendant for many years to come.”

TMX contributed to this report.