Man Sentenced to 16 Years for Kidnapping Student
A St. Louis man has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for abducting a Washington University student from a campus parking garage and forcing her to withdraw money from several ATMs.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that 24-year-old William James Cobbins was sentenced Thursday. A St. Louis County jury convicted him last month on charges of kidnapping, robbery and armed criminal action.
The crime happened in August 2012. The 23-year-old victim was a second-year law student. Cobbins approached her with a small knife, forced her into the driver's seat and made her drive for nearly two hours to several ATMs. He got away with $1,000.
Police tracked the victim's card and viewed surveillance footage to identify Cobbins.