An Iowa man, Troy Mure Jr., aged 33, has been sentenced to up to 55 years in prison for kidnapping a former girlfriend in September. Mure, who had a prior conviction for vehicular homicide nearly a decade ago, pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree kidnapping, first-degree burglary, and being a felon in possession of a weapon on Friday, Jan. 10. This information was disclosed in a news release from the Polk County Attorney’s Office.
According to the attorney’s office, Mure, a resident of Des Moines, confessed to being armed when he unlawfully entered the home of his former girlfriend on Sept. 21. Subsequently, he coerced her into his vehicle and drove away. “I didn’t want anyone to know where we were,” Mure admitted to the court, as reported by the attorney’s office.
District Judge Joseph Seidlin ordered that Mure’s sentences run consecutively as part of a plea agreement. After serving 22 and a half years in prison, Mure will be eligible for parole, according to the office. Additionally, he was mandated to participate in a Victim-Offender Dialogue, a voluntary “face-to-face” meeting facilitated by the Iowa Department of Corrections. This process involves careful planning and preparation with a trained facilitator when a survivor expresses a desire to meet with the offender involved in the case.
Notably, Mure had previously been convicted of vehicular homicide in 2016 following a fatal crash on Nov. 23, 2015, which claimed the life of a passenger in his vehicle, 22-year-old Scalicity Boyd. Reports indicate that Mure was driving at 86 miles per hour before colliding with a utility pole. After serving a minimum three-year term, he was released.
In a poignant statement to ABC affiliate WOI-DT in September, the mother of Scalicity Boyd, Shalisha Barber, expressed her anguish over the recent charges against Mure, referring to them as “a fresh new wound.” Reflecting on her daughter’s tragic death nine years prior, Barber voiced her disappointment, stating, “I feel that justice wasn’t served, and he showed that’s a prime example that happens when justice isn’t served.”
This sentencing marks a significant legal outcome in the case of Troy Mure Jr., highlighting the consequences of his criminal actions and the impact on the victims involved. The judicial process has been thorough and has sought to address the severity of the offenses committed by Mure, underscoring the importance of accountability and justice in cases of violence and unlawful behavior.
