CORPUS CHRISTI, TX — A 32-year-old resident of Yukon, Oklahoma, has been sentenced to federal prison for kidnapping his estranged wife and son at gunpoint, according to U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
It took jurors about three hours to convict Joshua Anthony Wallin on June 29 following a four-day trial.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales ordered Wallin to serve a total of 449 months for both charges, immediately followed by five years of supervised release.
"He was also ordered to pay the victim restitution. Before sentencing, Judge Morales took exception to Wallin’s statement that no one had been hurt. In imposing the prison term, the court took into account all the pain Wallin caused to the victim and her family," stated officials from the United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of Texas.
Joshua Anthony Wallin took his estranged wife and their 1-year-old son from her home at gunpoint in Crescent, Oklahoma, and took them on a two-day ordeal that ended at a restaurant on Baldwin Avenue in Corpus Christi, Texas.
"The victim provided testimony describing her fear and how she was sexually assaulted before they left Oklahoma and again along the way. She also told the jury that at one point during the trip, Wallin said 'at the end of the day, someone is going to die,'” added officials.
As they traveled through Texas, Wallin called 911 and began a series of conversations with police.
"He repeatedly made threatening statements about killing his wife and child, telling authorities they should not get too close. His driving became erratic, and law enforcement was able to use a tire deflation device to flatten a rear tire. He eventually crashed into a local restaurant," said officials.
Wallin grabbed their 1-year-old son from the mother's arms and took the child into the restaurant while pointing a gun to his head.
"Upon entry, Wallin fired one shot into the ceiling and ordered the occupants out of the restaurant. A two-hour stand-off then ensued. Wallin did speak with negotiators but became increasingly agitated. As authorities gained entry, Wallin shot himself," added officials.
The child was unharmed; however, Wallin survived his self-inflicted gunshot wound.
During the trial, jurors heard testimony about how Wallin had performed internet searches on his phone the day before the kidnapping in an attempt to locate his estranged wife and to "learn how people react when kidnapped."
"The defense attempted to convince the jury that Wallin and the victim were on vacation when things went horribly wrong. The jury did not believe those claims and found Wallin guilty as charged," said officials.
The Corpus Christi Police Department and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Hess and Ashley Martin prosecuted the case.
