Jury Finds Chanhassen Man Guilty Of Kidnapping
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 57-year-old Chanhassen man was found guilty by a Carver County jury of kidnapping on Tuesday in connection with a July 25 incident involving a female victim.
Lawrence Dean Veltkamp was convicted of felony kidnapping and also a gross misdemeanor of domestic assault, but was found not guilty of felony false imprisonment.
The incident stems back to the spring of 2009, when Veltkamp hired an adult woman to do work and household chores at his home on 6724 Lotus Trail in Chanhassen. In exchange for the work, Veltkamp gave her free room and board.
The woman has a history of alcoholism, and when she would go on a binge he would "bounce" her by taking her to a location away from his home and she would have to find her own way back.
On July 25, 2010, in response to another binge by the victim, Veltkamp wrapped the woman, who was half naked and barefoot at the time, with a rope into a bundle so he could carry her down the stairs. He put her into the back of his Chevy Blazer and held her head down so she couldn't see where she was going.
He drove about 12 miles to a rural tree farm in Laketown Township, threw a man's shirt to her and took his rope back. He said "I would not waste this good rope on you."
Veltkamp then went grocery shopping while she struggled throw a wooded area to get to a nearby home. There, homeowners gave her help and notified the Carver County Sheriff's Office. The victim suffered rope burns to her neck, wrists and ankles.
Veltkamp will be sentenced on Dec. 17. Guidelines call for a range of 41 to 57 months in prison for the crime.
