PORTLAND, Maine – A North Yarmouth couple accused of kidnapping their pregnant daughter in an attempt to force her to have an out-of state abortion pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of kidnapping, assault and terrorizing.
Nicholas and Lola Kampf are accused of tying up their 19-year-old daughter Katelyn, forcing her into their car and heading for New York with the goal of making her have an abortion. They were arrested on Sept. 15 at a shopping center in Salem, N.H., after Katelyn fled and called police on a cell phone.
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The Kampfs, who face up to 30 years in prison if they're convicted of kidnapping, were originally charged in New Hampshire but those charges were dropped when Maine prosecutors elected to pursue the case. They've been free on $100,000 bail apiece since being charged in Cumberland County Superior Court.
Thomas Hallett, the parents' lawyer, has said the family needs therapy, not a criminal prosecution. But District Attorney Stephanie Anderson has said it's unrealistic for the Kampfs to hold out hope that the criminal charges would be dropped.
The Kampfs learned during a phone call the day before the incident that their daughter was pregnant, Hallett has said. The parents had packed their car with belongings for a trip to Florida, but their plans changed because of the pregnancy.
But the defense contends there was no kidnapping and that the case is far different from the way it has been portrayed in the media.
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