University senior, Kristen Wisler is thankful to be safe and sound in her Avon Lake home after being abducted and held outside of Athens by two strangers for five hours this past Sunday. The alleged kidnappers Robert Norris, 36, of Zanesville, Ohio and Scott Stevens, 36, of Columbus on the other hand, are being held at the Southeast Ohio Regional Jail on $250,000 bail.
Wisler was in Athens visiting her boyfriend and female friend, who both attend Ohio University over the weekend. Around 11 p.m. on Sunday, Wisler was walking to her friend’s house after leaving her boyfriend, who was going to a fraternity event. She was almost to her friend’s home when two men pulled their vehicle beside her. One of them jumped out and tackled her, hitting her head on the sidewalk. They then threw her into the vehicle and sped away.
“I didn’t see him coming because he came from behind,” she said. “I felt so helpless. I struggled to get away and he slammed my head on the concrete.”
Luckily, her friend was standing on her porch waiting for Wisler and saw the kidnapping. She immediately called the police. She was able to give a description of the vehicle , which led to a quick rescue. Wisler said that this was a key factor in the police search.
“Without her I don’t know if anyone would have seen it happen there was no one on the street or anything,” Wisler said.
The kidnappers, took Wisler to a trailer off of State Rt. 550, outside of Athens. Then they put her back into the car again and took her to a parking lot. At that point she was scared for her life because they were threatening her, she said.
Only minutes after they arrived at the parking lot Athens County Deputy Sheriff Jim Heather spotted the car and rescued Wisler. Stevens and Norris were arrested and charged with kidnapping and robbery.
While the police conducted their search, Wisler’s parents were contacted. Wisler’s father, Kevin, said that when they got the phone call they thought it was a joke. Her parents immediately drove to Athens.
Around 15 minutes before they arrived in Athens, they got a call reporting that she had been found.
“We were overjoyed that she was still alive,” her father said. “We were driving and looking in all of the ditches to make sure we didn’t see a body lying there on our way down.”
Since her rescue, Wisler has been contacted by various newspapers and television stations. She and her family agree that they want to talk about the event so that students are aware that kidnapping is a reality.
“This is such an awful situation and I hope that people will see to use more caution,” she said.
She said that the ordeal is a wake-up call for her. While living in Bowling Green she often went jogging alone at night in the city park. She now regrets jogging or doing anything alone.
“You don’t realize what an opportunity you are for somebody every second that you are by yourself,” she said.
Wisler said that she has had sleepless nights since her abduction, but is feeling better. She plans to stay at her home in Avon Lake for at least a couple of weeks, before she decides on returning to Bowling Green.
