A $50,000 bench warrant has been issued for an Agra man who failed to show up for his arraignment on charges of kidnapping and two other felonies.
After being called three times in open court, Terry Lee Ludtke, 63, failed to show up. District Judge John Canavan then ordered the $50,000 been warrant issued and set his bond in the amount of $50,000 with bond forfeited.
It was the second time Ludtke had failed to appear for his arraignment. The first time he reportedly was in the hospital. Judge Canavan took a bench warrant under advisement and continued the arraignment until Nov. 28.
A felony charge of kidnapping and two other felony counts were formally filed in Lincoln County District Court on May 5 against Terry Lee Ludtke, 63.
He was arrested by Lincoln County Sheriff deputies.
The other two felony charges include possession of firearm after former felony conviction and abuse by caretaker.
Ludtke also failed to appear for his preliminary hearing on July 21 and Special Judge Emily Mueller issued a bench warrant and also forfeited Ludtke’s $50,000 bond at that time.
On May 5, she had further ordered him to have no contact with the victim.
Count 1 against Ludtke accuses him on April 26 of kidnapping by forcibly seizing Mary Ludtke from 342296 East 770 Road in the Town of Agra in Lincoln County without lawful authority and with the intent to cause her to be confined/imprisoned against her will.
Count 2 charges him with possession of firearm after former felony conviction by on the same day having in his possession at the residence where he resides a Ruger .357 located upstairs in a bedroom, a Savage arms 12 gauge shotgun and a Marlin .22 rifle downstairs near the front door and a Connecticut Arms 12 gauge shotgun in a room with his driver’s license, after he had been convicted in Lincoln County District Court on Oct. 31, 2005 ,with possession of Substance with the intent to manufacture.
The abuse by caretaker count accuses Ludtke of neglecting Mary Ludtke, a person entrusted to the care of such caretaker or other person in a nursing facility or other setting, of causing, securing or permitting any of these acts to be done.
In a probable cause affidavit, Lincoln County Deputy Sheriff James Robinson states he first spoke to Tracy Spracklen who informed him she was awarded emergency guardianship of Mary Ludtke who is her mother on April 26 this year through a Lincoln County Court case.
She further advised Robinson that she went to her mom’s address on April 25 at just before 1:30 p.m. Her mom and Terry Ludtke, Mary’s son and Tracy’s brother, reside there, she told the deputy.
When Tracy told her brother Terry she had been awarded emergency guardianship, he told her something and put Mary into a vehicle and took off.
Robinson said Tracy advised him Terry drove off with his mother headed westbound on 770 Road.
According to the affidavit, on April 28 Robinson and Lincoln County Lt. Tony Long interviewed Terry Ludtke who was in custody at the Lincoln County jail under Miranda Warning regarding the kidnapping case.
Robinson later applied for and was granted a search warrant on that date and officers found in the residence four firearms along with numerous different calibers of ammunition.