Pair Get Life Terms in Kidnap of Woman, 78
Two men who pleaded guilty to attempted murder, robbery and kidnaping for the purpose of robbery in the abduction and beating of an elderly La Canada Flintridge woman were sentenced Wednesday to life in prison.
Paul Edward Keeling, 20, and Randall J. Countryman, 19, apologized to Eloise Purdy, 78, the woman they kidnaped last year, moments before they were sentenced. Pasadena Superior Court Judge Jack B. Tso also ordered the men to pay Purdy $10,000 in restitution.
The Arizona men pleaded guilty in August to every charge filed against them in connection with the July 8, 1988, kidnaping of Purdy.
Police said Keeling and Countryman approached Purdy outside a Montrose bank and asked for a ride. According to police reports, they drove her to an Indio palm grove where they stabbed her twice in the chest, beat her unconscious, then drove away in her car. When Purdy awakened, she was able to walk to a road and get help from a motorist, police said.
Keeling and Countryman will be eligible for parole in 20 years, Deputy Dist. Atty. Anthony Castaneda said.
More to Read
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
