GARDEN CITY — A 61-year-old Garden Valley man, Daniel Eldred Aitchison, was sentenced to 40 years in prison after abducting his ex-wife at gunpoint in Garden City.
The Ada County Prosecutors' Office released that Aitchison was sentenced yesterday, Dec. 15, to a unified 40-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to kidnapping, stalking, and burglary. The sentence consists of 15 years fixed and 25 years indeterminate.
The Garden Valley man was also served a 40-year no-contact order to protect the victim.
In July of this year, authorities report that Aithchison was high on methamphetamine when he abducted his ex-wife at gunpoint in Garden City.
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The victim had recently divorced Aithchison and suspected him of stalking her.
The morning of the incident, Aithchison attempted to force her into her truck. When the victim resisted, he pulled a gun and threatened her.
A bystander heard the victim call for help and called 911.
According to the release, Aithchison forced the victim to drive for nearly five hours, including to her Garden Valley home, where he had previously threatened to kill her. During the kidnapping, he told the victim to drive to Las Vegas to "get married again".
The victim eventually persuaded him to give her the firearm and drove him back to his vehicle. She then fled to a nearby business and called 911.
“The victim’s resolve and quick thinking saved her life," said Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts.
Aithchison was found by police while attempting to leave the state in his brother's vehicle.
“This was an extremely dangerous and prolonged abduction that could have ended in tragedy,” said Bennetts.
The victim expressed relief at the lengthy prison sentence.
Bennett thanked the Garden City Police Department for their "swift response and thorough investigation," including their support for the victim.
