A “sadistic” Nebraska welder has been sentenced to up to 90 years in prison after he tortured a man with a blowpipe and hung him from a forklift, and raped a woman, over stolen cartel drugs.
Tanner Danielson, 31, was sentenced Wednesday to 40 to 50 years for kidnapping and 30 to 40 years for sexual assault after the brutal July 2022 attack.
Danielson kidnapped the 26-year-old after he suspected he stole 50 pounds of marijuana, worth up to $200,000, that was missing from his home, according to the Lincoln Journal Star.
He said he believed the cartel would hurt him and his family after the pot was stolen – so he “had to”.
The welder kidnapped and tortured the man for over 12 hours.
During the kidnapping, Danielson burned the word “thief” into the unidentified man’s body, beat and drugged him, hung him from a forklift, and put a gun in his mouth — before leaving him in the countryside tied to a tree.
The man only escaped after he miraculously freed himself from the tree and ran down the road to call down help while still in handcuffs, the Lincoln Journal Star reported.
Tanner Danielson, 31, was sentenced to 40 to 50 years in prison for kidnapping and 30 to 40 years for sexual assault after kidnapping a man and woman in July 2022. Lincoln Police Department
Danielson also raped a woman who came to the warehouse with him, the outlet reported. He then threatened to kill her if she reported the crime to the police.
The victim expected to meet with Danielson’s co-conspirator, Austin Widhalm, 28, to buy cocaine, according to Fox News.
Widhalm has pleaded no contest to assault and false imprisonment.
“Only a sadistic and evil person would do this to another human being,” Judge Susan Strong told Danielson in court.
Strong said the case was “one of the most egregious factual scenarios” he had ever seen.
The victim expected to meet Danielson’s co-conspirator Austin Widhalm, 28, to buy cocaine, according to Fox News. Widhalm has pleaded no contest to assault and false imprisonment. Widhalm will face sentencing next week.Lincoln Police Department
Danielson, meanwhile, begged the court to “see me for who I am” and not judge him for the sickening crime.
“I was scared beyond belief. I don’t know what to do,” he told the judge. “I’m begging you to see me for who I am, not for what I feel I have to do to save myself.”
Deputy Lancaster County District Attorney Jeff Mathers did not believe Danielson’s plea, saying: “To be forced to beat, torture, hold and leave — possibly to die — an individual? He had to rape a woman? Nonsense. Come on.”
Mathers claimed the perpetrator had a history of violence against women and was involved in the drug trade.
“The facts in this case are as horrible and bad as anything I have ever seen. Narcissism, antisocial personality disorder, sociopath, psychopath. I’m sure some or all of them are appropriate,” said the lawyer.
Danielson became involved in the drug trade after meeting people at a concert in Colorado, according to Defense Attorney Chad Wythers. The welder thought he would be an easy way to make money one time, but then couldn’t get out.
Wythers said Danielson was high on cocaine at the time of the attack.
Widhalm will face sentencing next week.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
