KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Clay County judge entered a not guilty plea for Timothy Haslett on Tuesday during his initial arraignment on kidnapping, rape and assault charges in Excelsior Springs, according to court records..
Haslett appeared via video for the first time since a woman alleges she escaped from his basement after being held captive for a month, subjected to rape and torture in the 300 block of Old Orchard Street.
Judge Louis Angles entered the not-guilty plea on Haslett’s behalf, ruled him indigent and ordered the public defender’s office to represent him.
Haslett is charged with first-degree rape, first-degree kidnapping and second-degree assault.
An initial bond hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 18 in Clay County Circuit Court.
Angles also set a preliminary hearing on Dec. 2 in the case.
Haslett currently is being held on a $500,000 bond and will remain in jail until at least his next hearing.
Excelsior Springs police spent most of Friday and Saturday at the residence on Old Orchard Street, gathering evidence.
The FBI confirmed Tuesday it is assisting local law enforcement with the investigation.
RELATED | Neighbors recall horror story of woman held captive
The 22-year-old woman told police she escaped Haslett’s house the morning of Oct. 7 after he left to take a child to school.
She ran to several nearby houses, knocking on doors for help.
The woman, who told police Haslett picked her up in early September on Prospect Avenue, was wearing a trash bag and had a metal collar with a padlock and duct tape around her neck, according to court documents.
She described being handcuffed around her wrists and ankles inside a small room in the basement of Haslett’s house, where he repeatedly raped her and whipped her, according to a probable cause statement.
The woman had injuries consistent with her story.
Excelsior Springs initially arrested Haslett on an unrelated animal-control violation before Clay County prosecutors charged him with rape, kidnapping and assault.
—
For jurisdictions that utilize the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline, anonymous tips can be made by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com.
Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.
