Wright City Man Faces Kidnapping Charge After Alleged Assault and I-70 Pursuit
WRIGHT CITY, Mo. — A woman’s attempt to get out of a Wright City home became a police search that reached Interstate 70 before dawn Thursday. By the time officers found the man they were looking for, he was back where the morning had begun.
In between, police say, he reached 109 mph and drove into oncoming interstate traffic. Inside the home, investigators were piecing together a woman’s account of being restrained, nearly losing consciousness and repeatedly being stopped from leaving.
Christian Cole Thurman — Wright City, Missouri
CHARGES
First-degree kidnapping — Class B felony
Second-degree domestic assault — Class D felony
Aggravated fleeing a stop or detention
The woman called 911 after Thurman drove away. When an officer arrived shortly after 3 a.m., she was alone.
The argument, she said, had started the night before and continued for hours. Eventually, Thurman pinned her to a bed with his body weight, preventing her from getting away.
She told police he wrapped an arm around her neck and squeezed until she saw stars and nearly lost consciousness.
Then, she said, he eased the pressure—only to tighten his grip again.
The woman described that pattern continuing intermittently for approximately 20 minutes, with Thurman’s legs wrapped around her.
When he released her, she said, she slowly regained her senses and tried to flee. But getting off the bed did not mean she could get out of the house.
She told investigators Thurman repeatedly blocked the front door and demanded that she stay to talk. She feared another assault.
Police reported cuts to her face and hands, along with swelling and irritation on her neck. She was admitted to a hospital for treatment.
While officers investigated the alleged assault, a notice went out asking law enforcement to stop and hold Thurman.
A Warrenton officer spotted him around 4:20 a.m., stopped at a red light near the Highway 47 overpass. Thurman was alone in the vehicle. The officer began following and requested assistance.
After Thurman entered eastbound I-70, the officer said, he accelerated rapidly. The officer activated emergency lights and a siren and measured his speed at 109 mph through a construction zone posted at 55 mph.
The pursuit continued into a rest area. Police say Thurman left the pavement, crossed grass and drove the wrong way through the rest area before returning to the interstate.
He entered the eastbound lanes heading west.
Other motorists were suddenly in his path.
The pursuing officer described heavy traffic and drivers braking sharply and swerving to avoid a collision.
The provided pursuit statement does not explain how that encounter ended. It does establish where police found Thurman later: back at the Wright City residence at approximately 7:22 a.m.
During a recorded interview, police said, Thurman admitted fleeing law enforcement and blocking the woman’s exit. He also acknowledged physical contact during the argument.
He said he did not recall choking her and made statements suggesting she had injured herself.
Asked about preventing her from leaving, Thurman said he was not ready for her to go and wanted to finish the conversation.
The allegation that he kept her inside the home is now part of a first-degree kidnapping case. He also faces second-degree domestic assault and aggravated fleeing charges.
Judge Jonathan Andrew Yelton ordered Thurman held without bond, finding that no combination of monetary or nonmonetary release conditions would secure the safety of the community or another person.
The case is filed in Warren County Circuit Court under 26BB-CR00824. A confined docket hearing is scheduled for November 17 at 1 p.m.
Thurman is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
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Sources: Wright City and Warrenton police probable cause statements; arrest warrant and Missouri Case.net hearing listing for case 26BB-CR00824; custody confirmation provided to Warren CountyWatch by the Warren County Sheriff’s Office.
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