Men charged in federal court in kidnapping case

BISMARCK — Three of five men accused of brutally assaulting a man in northwestern North Dakota and leaving him for dead in Montana appeared in federal court Monday for a detention hearing.

Nicholas Woodford, 22, Tyler White, 22, and James Odeneal, 23, appeared on charges of kidnapping Robert Osterhout, who survived the attack. Two other men, Jeffrey Butler, 45, and Zachary Mills, 22, are accused in the complaint.

The hearings for Woodford, White and Odeneal were continued until Tuesday.

Court documents show that Osterhout was beaten with brass knuckles, cut with a razor blade, kicked, strangled and shocked with a stun gun. He was then tied up, placed in the trunk of a car and transported to Montana, police said.

A witness said the men who assaulted Osterhout were under the influence of drugs.

U.S. Attorney Timothy Purdon had no comment. Defense attorneys in the case were not immediately available for comment.

Butler, also known as Pops, is accused of ordering others to kill Osterhout on Aug. 12 in Williston. Osterhout was lured into a camper and attacked, police said.

Osterhout allegedly was bound by his hands and ankles and thrown into the trunk of Butler’s car, which had been lined with plastic. At one point, authorities say, Osterhout escaped from the trunk, after which he was attacked again. Investigators said some of the men stomped on Osterhout’s head until he appeared dead.

The suspects then drove back to Williston, police said.

Osterhout eventually made it to a residence near Culbertson, Mont., where someone called authorities. Osterhout was hospitalized with numerous bruises, cuts, broken ribs and a broken collarbone.

Tags: north dakota, news, crime, kidnapping