Teen kidnappers sentenced for abducting, terrorizing Hillcrest girl

Three teenagers who kidnapped a fellow adolescent in hope of bagging a hefty ransom were sentenced Monday to hefty prison terms. Donald Siler, 19, received 19 years to life for kidnapping 13-year-old

News 12 Staff

May 29, 2014, 6:59 PM

Updated 3,794 days ago

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Three teenagers who kidnapped a fellow adolescent in hope of bagging a hefty ransom were sentenced Monday to hefty prison terms. Donald Siler, 19, received 19 years to life for kidnapping 13-year-old Mara Downes in front of her Hillcrest home. Siler?s 14-year-old brother Jamahl, who also took part in the kidnapping, was sentenced to five to 12 years in prison. A third accomplice, 18-year-old Chantia Marshall, got 16 years in prison for his role in the abduction.Police say the three teens admitted to kidnapping Downes last April. They grabbed her, threw her in the trunk of a stolen car and abandoned her. Downes spent three terrifying hours in the trunk while police issued an AMBER Alert to pinpoint her whereabouts. The teens told police they had hoped to collect a $25,000 ransom. Downes, who suffered minor injuries at the time of the abduction, says psychological pain keeps her awake at night and prevents her from doing simple things like walking by herself to the school bus.
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