Nicholas Kampf, 54, and Lola Kampf, 53
Posted on 09/18/2006 3:08:06 AM PDT by billorites
SALEM – A Maine couple faces felony charges after allegedly kidnapping their pregnant daughter and driving her across state lines in an attempt to force an abortion on her.
The North Yarmouth couple - Nicholas Kampf, 54, and Lola Kampf, 53 - were arrested by Salem police Friday after their daughter, Katelyn, called 911 saying she had been kidnapped, police said.
Nicholas Kampf, 54, and Lola Kampf, 53
Sgt. Ron Peddle said the daughter persuaded her parents to untie her so she could use the restroom at a South Broadway shopping plaza.
"While she was in the ladies' room, her father went into the men's room" and she made her escape, dialing 911 on a cellphone, Peddle said. Authorities found Katelyn Kampf behind the shopping plaza, which is across the street from the police station.
Police allege that the parents had bound their daughter with rope around her feet and hands and forced her into their car Friday morning.
The daughter told investigators in Maine that her parents assaulted her after they found out she was pregnant, Cumberland County Sheriff Mark Dion said yesterday. She told police her parents tied her up and were planning to take her to New York state for an emergency abortion, he said.
"No matter what the case is, this is not a rational way to deal with a family issue," Dion said.
The Kampfs are scheduled to be arraigned on kidnapping charges today via live video feed in Salem District Court, said Salem Police Lt. Mike McGuire. They were being held yesterday on $100,000 bail each in the Rockingham County jail in Brentwood. If convicted, they face 7½ to 15 years in prison. They could face additional charges in Maine.
Police said they discovered the parents driving around the parking lot - apparently looking for their daughter - shortly after they found Katelyn Kampf. They said they uncovered rope, duct tape, scissors and a .22-caliber rifle when they searched their car. Nicholas Kampf was also allegedly carrying a .22-caliber clip in his pocket, the sheriff's department said.
Dion said Katelyn Kampf had been living with her boyfriend in Portland, Maine, and had attended Boston College. Dion said the daughter is traumatized by what has happened.
"I think it's traumatizing any time you're a victim of a crime and your parents are the perpetrators," he said.
She has been interviewed by police in New Hampshire and Maine. McGuire said it was unclear yesterday what she revealed during her interview in Salem. He said the parents allegedly stopped to use a Kmart restroom around 3:30 p.m. Friday.
Because the investigation involved two states, federal authorities may get involved. The oddness of the case makes the investigation more difficult, Dion said.
"It's a pretty dramatic response to her being pregnant, some would say outrageous response," Dion said.
He said it's unclear how the alleged kidnappers expected to get a doctor to perform an abortion against the young woman's will or why the parents acted as they did.
"There may be some other deeper issues," he said. "That's why we have to continue our investigation."
In light of the stage of the pregnancy and the different abortion laws in each state, the Kampfs believed that an abortion should be performed in New York, the sheriff said.
The Kampfs formerly owned the State Theater in Portland and are prominent businesspeople, Dion said. They live in an upscale neighborhood about eight miles from Portland. Dion said the only known contact they've had with police is when they called a few times to complain about speeders in their neighborhood.
When the daughter grows up and has children of her own, imagine the stories she can tell them about their grandparents. "Yep, sweet child, my parents wanted you dead".
How horrible! It doesn't say how old she is. I assume at least 18 since she's in college? How could they force their adult daughter to have an abortion against her will!
what can b said?
What's the big deal-- the parents are just being good Democrats.
This is one jury I'd love to be on. They should be charged with the attempted murder of their grandchild, as well as kidnapping their daughter, but of course, that won't happen in our benighted country.
Another article said that Katelyn is 19. God bless her and her child.
I would love to hear the reasoning behind this. What do you suppose the excuse is going to be? Parents forcing an abortion on their daughter is truely inhumane.
I caught the story on the news this morning. They said she's 20 weeks pregnant.
Thanks for the info.
That's pretty far along.
I feel so sorry for this girl. I hope there is an adult in her life that can help get her through this. Prayers for this young women.
Quite possibly, that large piece missing, could be my mind! :(
Surely the NARAL crowd and the abortion lovers will be coming to the defense of the parents. They probably think what the parents did should be made mandatory.
I would like to say that there probably is no clinic in New York where you could bring a woman bound and gagged and have them perform an abortion on her. I would really, really like to be able to say that.
I guess she hid her pregnancy from her parents. Imagine that!
I used to do prayer vigils outside Planned Parenthood in Boston. It seemed like every other girl was crying and was being led in by the arm by her mother.
I often wondered what it would be like to know that your mother wanted your child dead.
I saw the same thing when I used to do prayer vigils in New York - middle-aged mothers pulling their teary young daughters into the "clinic." I'm sure if they'd gotten her to New York, they could have managed to carry it off in some way.
Hmmm. With a family like that maybe the child should be named "Mein"...?
He said it's unclear how the alleged kidnappers expected to get a doctor to perform an abortion against the young woman's will or why the parents acted as they did.
They weren't taking her to a doctor, they were taking her to an abortionist.
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