Oklahoma Couple Sentenced to Combined 60 Years for Kidnapping

TEXARKANA, AR—Conner Eldridge, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Leslie Larcade and wife Chrystal Larcade of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, were sentenced today on one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Leslie Larcade, 49, and Chrystal Larcade, 38, were each sentenced to 360 months in prison without the possibility of parole and five years of supervised release. The court recommended that both Leslie and Chrystal Larcade be candidates for the Intensive Drug Treatment Program while incarcerated and ordered restitution in the amount of $585 jointly and severally for the couple. The Honorable Susan O. Hickey in United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas presided over the sentencing. A federal grand jury returned an indictment on this matter on January 16, 2012, charging one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and one count of kidnapping resulting in death. The Larcades entered guilty pleas to one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping in November 2013.

U.S. Attorney Eldridge stated, “Senseless acts of violence such as this shock the conscience. This couple’s willful and violent actions not only terrorized and caused the death of another individual, but the manner in which they then dumped the victim’s body was atrocious and inhumane. With this sentence they have now been brought to justice for this outrageous crime. Our office will continue its efforts to ensure that we are doing all we can to keep our communities safe from criminal activity and violence in the Western District of Arkansas.”

“Today’s sentencing of the Larcades to 30 years each in federal prison for their senseless act of violence—is the result of the investigative teamwork of law enforcement officers in Arkansas and Oklahoma,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge David T. Resch. “We will continue to work together with the United States Attorney and our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who perpetrate this type of violence are brought to justice.”

According to court documents, on August 13, 2011, Leslie and Chrystal Larcade handcuffed the victim, restrained him with a rope and duct tape, placed him in a vehicle, and drove him from McCurtain County, Oklahoma to Miller County, Arkansas. The defendants placed a noose around the neck of the victim, causing various injuries that resulted in the victim’s death. Following her arrest, Chrystal Larcade stated that she and Leslie kidnapped the victim in order to get money from an individual willing to pay $1,000 for delivering the victim to him. The defendants were unsuccessful in delivering the victim to the individual and dumped the body of the victim at the Texarkana Speedway in Miller County, Arkansas, where a witness observed their actions and called 911. The defendants fled the scene but were arrested by law enforcement after a high-speed pursuit ensued. Their vehicle contained a blood stain matching the DNA of the victim.

This case was investigated by the Miller County Sheriff’s Office, Arkansas State Police, the McCurtain County Oklahoma Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Kenneth Elser and Matt Quinn prosecuted the case for the United States.