McDowell Co. man sentenced for kidnapping, beating woman for over 10 hours

MCDOWELL COUNTY, N.C. (FOX Carolina) - The Rutherford and McDowell County District Attorney’s Office announced that a man was recently sentenced to years in prison for kidnapping and beating a woman.

District Attorney Ted Bell said Joseph O’Buckley was recently tried and convicted of attempted murder, first-degree kidnapping, assault by strangulation, assault inflicting serious bodily injury, assault on a female, intimidating a witness, and habitual felon.

According to Bell, O’Buckley and the victim were staying at a motel in Marion when O’Buckley locked the victim in a room and barricaded the door while refusing to let her leave. Bell said O’Buckley then repeatedly beat and strangled the victim until he fell asleep around eleven hours later. After O’Buckley fell asleep, the victim reportedly escaped and found help nearby.

Bell said the victim was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries following the incident, and O’Buckely was taken into custody. However, Bell added that O’Buckley continued to call the victim from jail and demanded that she not testify against him.

Following his conviction, O’Buckley was sentenced to 37 years in prison.

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