Chief Judge Paul Blake Jr. sentenced Paren O’Dell, 44, of Brownsville, WV to 30 years in prison for kidnapping, a felony. O’Dell has to serve at least seven and a half years before he can apply for parole.

West Virginia State Police Troopers went to the Brownsville area of Fayette County on September 5, 2022, after getting reports of domestic violence between a man and a woman. When troopers found Paren O’Dell at his home, they talked to the victim who said O’Dell had held her captive in his home for several weeks and attacked her that day.

The victim said O’Dell assaulted her, choked her and said he would kill her many times. The victim got away through a window and ran to a neighbor’s house, but O’Dell found her and pulled her back to his home. The victim had facial injuries, a broken ankle and marks of choking.

Troopers got security footage from one of the houses nearby that showed the victim jumping from a second story window and O’Dell dragging her back. O’Dell admitted to the crime on August 11, 2023.