Charges Filed Against Sedalia Man Suspected of Holding Woman Captive

A man who authorities allege kept a woman captive in a wooden box in a home in Sedalia has been charged.

Pettis County authorities charged 47-year-old James Horn Jr. Monday with kidnapping, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon.

Horn remains at large since fleeing Sedalia on Thursday.

Police Chief John DeGonia and Detective Josh Howell said the woman told police that she had been held captive in a home she shared with Horn in Sedalia since January, and that he often kept her in a wooden box.

The Sedalia Democrat reports that court records indicate the woman was allowed to go outdoors occasionally but was too afraid of Horn to try and flee. She ran for help to a neighbor's home on Thursday.