Abduction, shooting suspect appears in court
Bruce Bishop | The Chronicle-Telegram
Matthew Plas, 25, appeared in Elyria Municipal Court via video for his arraignment on attempted murder and kidnapping charges.
He told the judge that he lived at home with his wife and children in
Judge Lisa Locke Graves ordered Plas held without bond in the Lorain County Jail.
Plas, who was mostly quiet during the appearance, did say one thing of interest.
“I know I’ve done a stupid thing, your honor,” he told Locke Graves.
Plas is accused of abducting the 43-year-old woman, shooting her in the back and stuffing her in a car trunk before taking off on a journey where it appeared he was trying to dump her and leave her for dead, only to have strangers intervene and alert authorities, who eventually found her near an abandoned store and captured him by the county Equestrian Trails.
Sheriff’s deputies have said it does not appear Plas and the woman knew one another, and police were awaiting test results to determine whether she was raped, too, as she told one of her rescuers.
As of Tuesday, reports were that the woman — who was shot in the middle of her back — could not move her legs. No update on her condition was available as of yet today.
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 Filed by Bruce Bishop | The Chronicle-Telegram May 7th, 2008 in Top Stories. Popularity: 7% |
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Comments
Comment from
Lucky Lady
May 7, 2008, 1:17 pm
This man does not deserve bail, Apparently he is violent if his wife has a protection order against him. I hope his victim recovers and I hope she was his only victim.
Comment from
lagranger
May 7, 2008, 1:56 pm
I went to school with this guy. I had a huge crush on him in high school. I used to flirt my butt off when I was around him. However, he really was a huge loser. Cute… but a loser. Did a lot of drugs and alcohol and whatnot.
Nice to know he made something of himself. *Eyeroll*
Comment from
NicfromEtown
May 7, 2008, 2:17 pm
Lagranger~ you made yourself seem like a pathetic loser. Not really an appropriate message for such a serious topic. I wish the victim a speedy recovery and hope that she can work on getting past this horrible situation.
Comment from
Confused
May 7, 2008, 3:07 pm
*eyeroll* some things ppl will say to get themselves to be the center of attention
I too wish the victim a speedy recovery. She is in our prayers! I do not understand why there is so much violence in this world. This man deserves to be in jail. No bail!! Yay for Judge Graves — good ruling!
Comment from
ConcernedMom
May 7, 2008, 3:41 pm
I’m glad he was denied bail. He needs to be kept locked up because he is a serious danger to society. As for the victim in this case, I just pray that she will not be paralyzed and recovers fully from this harrowing ordeal. Kudos to the strangers that stepped up when it looked like something was wrong.
Comment from
lagranger
May 7, 2008, 5:52 pm
OK, all I was saying is that I went to school with an attempted murderer. How is that trying to ‘be the center of attention? It’s just jarring when you see someone you used to know in such a place. Of course I feel for the woman (horrbly so). I’m just stating that I used to know this guy. And no, I was not high fiving him- that was sarcasm. Imagine someone that you used to know does something like this. Its disgusting. Didn’t mean to be disprespectful- was just shocked.
Comment from
Lovinglife4me
May 7, 2008, 6:04 pm
lagranger it seems you literally might have dodged a bullet. Thank your lucky stars he wasn’t into you! They should put this guy under the jail. He said “I know I’ve done a stupid thing, your honor,” he told Locke Graves. Try again. A stupid thing is when you lock your keys in the car. Is there a doubt in anyone’s mind he was leaving this poor woman for dead? My thoughts and prayers go out to her and her family. What a horrible, horrible thing to have happen.
Comment from
art
May 7, 2008, 6:10 pm
My mother a few years back had a close call on those trails while ealking alone. A man was learing in the woods off the pass and then got ahead of her and gave chase. He did not count on her being in shape and knowing the trails. Thank god she found others on the trail and got away!
I wish this victim all the love and support threw her healing.
Comment from
johnbear
May 8, 2008, 6:56 am
I realize that there is a NO HUNTING ordinance in the Metro Parks, but there should be an exception in this case. Have a bunch of licensed qualified hunters in the park on a designated day and release this guy in the middle of the parks. This will be a true measure of justice for what this animal did to this poor lady and her family. There will be many people who will never go back to the parks because of this and he has ruined other lives also.
Also, at the end of the hunt, he can be taken out in the trunk of the hunters car that bags him.
Comment from
art
May 8, 2008, 8:45 am
johnbear, I wish this could happen but the jerks who commit these crimes have more rights then the victim. Look at the death penalty cases. The victims did not get to choose if they died without pain and they get to?
Comment from
maerd
May 8, 2008, 9:47 am
Everone is lucky he didn’t get assigned to Judge Burge. (wrong court house)
SHE IS IN OUR PRAYERS AND FAIMLY ALSO.
Comment from
littlelyndsie33
May 8, 2008, 10:20 pm
This just goes to show that it can happen anywhere. I live in Lagrange and some of you might know this matthew plas as ‘matt underwood’ yep thats him, he robbed my house 3 years ago and I didn’t have any proof so he didn’t get caught and the scary part is that I was sleeping while he was in my house, but isn’t funny how karma is? Its very unfortunate that the law finally caught up with him this way but atleast he can’t hurt anyone anymore. My prayers are with the victim and her family.
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