LITTLE ROCK — A mother and son from Harrison were arraigned today for their purported roles in kidnapping a 20-year-old man, cutting off one of his fingers and torturing him with a pair of pliers, police said.
Linda Daniels, 47, and Christopher Daigneault, 29, are each charged with first degree battery and kidnapping in the Sunday afternoon assault of Justin Marshall, who suffered serious injuries but is expected to recover, said Harrison Police Department Captain Paul Woodruff.
Authorities believe Daniels and Daigneault held Marshall in the master bedroom of their home with Daigneault first using a cigar cutter to lop off part of Marshall's pinky finger and later using pliers to rip his earlobe, tear an eyelid and attempt to rip out his tongue, Woodruff said.
Marshall was flown to St. John's Hospital in Springfield, Mo. for treatment but has since been released.
"When you have this type of torture, normally we find it on a deceased person that doesn't live through the attack," Woodruff said. "I don't believe I can recall someone having so much trauma and still be living."
Police say it all started the night before when Daniels hired Marshall to work on her car. Marshall ended up staying the night and may have had some form of intimate relations with Daniels, Woodruff said.
The actual assault of Marshall began at some point Sunday morning, though investigators are still unclear what sparked it. Daigneault reportedly initially told investigators it was because Marshall had looked at his 16-year-old sister. He later said it was because Marshall was attempting to steal things from the residence, Woodruff said.
Daniels did not provide investigators much information, but Woodruff said she did ask during the booking process if she could keep Marshall's severed finger. It was located, along with the cigar cutter, in an outside freezer.
"We really don't know what the motive was," Woodruff said. "We do know mom was yelling and screaming for Mr. Daigneault to kill him, to cut his throat and to remove all his fingers."
The assault occurred after Marshall tried to escape through a window from the bedroom, Woodruff said. Investigators believe Daigneault came in, pulled Marshall back inside, climbed on top of him and began attacking him.
Authorities were called to the area near 1005 E. Bunn about 12:15 p.m. to investigate a report of a man outside who was "badly injured and bleeding," Woodruff said.
That victim, Marshall, reportedly identified Daigneault as his attacker and directed authorities to the house where the assault occurred. There, police found Daniels inside wiping blood from a pair of boots.
A search of the residence turned up a large amount of blood in the bedroom and a trail of it leading from there to the door.
Daigneault is being held at the Boone County jail without bond while Daniels is jailed there in lieu of a $100,000 bond.