Kidnapping Charges Dropped

(GARDEN COUNTY, Neb.) — UPDATE: December 17, 2025 from KNEB News

Nearly all charges have been dropped against the 72-year-old Morrill man accused of kidnapping a family of five in Garden County earlier this year.

Carl Thomas had been facing five counts each of kidnapping and false imprisonment, three counts of intentional child abuse, and one count of second degree assault, all felonies, but during a hearing Tuesday, Garden County Attorney Krista Shaul told the court of an oral plea agreement in which those charges were dismissed without prejudice.

Thomas then plead no contest to amended charges of 1st offense willful reckless driving, on which he was given 90 days in jail with 90 days credit for time served, and failure to use a child passenger restraint, which resulted in a $100 fine.

Kidnapping Victims Rescued

(GARDEN COUNTY, Neb.) March 5, 2025 — Garden County Sheriff Deputies successfully rescued three children and two women on February 28, 2025. The suspect drove at high speeds with the victims in his vehicle. After Garden County Dispatch received multiple 911 calls from the victims, a Deputy was able to locate and stop the suspect’s vehicle.

Earlier in the day, the victims had been advised by the Deuel County Sheriff’s Department not to travel without proper child safety seats. While seeking assistance in Big Springs, Nebraska, the women encountered the suspect, who offered to take them to Walmart in Ogallala to purchase car seats. Instead, after approximately 30 minutes, the suspect informed them he was taking them to his house for illicit purposes. The suspect also displayed inappropriate images, burned one of the women with a cigarette, and continuously yelled at the victims, causing them significant distress.

On March 4, 2025, Carl C. Thomas of Morrill NE, was arraigned in Garden County Court on multiple felony charges, including Kidnapping, Second Degree Assault, First Degree False Imprisionment, Felony Child Abuse, and Willful Reckless Driving. His bond has been set at $5,000,000 with his next court date scheduled for a later time.

The swift and diligent actions of the Garden County Sheriff’s Office and Garden County Emergency Communications ensured the safety of the victims and prevented a potentially tragic outcome. The Garden County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to protecting the community and assisting vulnerable individuals in distress.

Authorities have uncovered a concerning multi-state criminal history linked to Thomas. The investigation is ongoing, conducted by the Garden County Sheriff’s Office and the Nebraska State Patrol, with assistance of the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office.

* In July of 2019, Thomas was charged with felony Terroristic Threats after he reportedly sent threatening texts and voicemails to a victim and his family members. We also found this report from North Platte, NE last April.

** The charges against Thomas are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

For further information, please contact the Garden County Sheriff’s Office at 308-772-3540

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One thought on “Kidnapping Charges Dropped”

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Elizabeth Schneider says:

March 6, 2025 at 5:04 am

I never ever would’ve gotten in the car with him in the first place!! ..
he, imo, looks unhinged!..

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Monday May 4 2026 - Scanner News - Panhandle Scanner News

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Wednesday April 29 2026 - Scanner News - Panhandle Scanner News

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Kidnapping Charges Dropped

Kidnapping Victims Rescued

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Kidnapping Victims Rescued

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