Video: Suspect In Foiled Plot To Kidnap Judge Pleads Guilty, Receives Prison Sentence

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – Judge Paul Funderburk was on the other side of the bench in the second floor courtroom at the Lee County Justice Center.

The judge was in court for Matthew Fowler’s plea hearing. Fowler is one of three men arrested last year who witnesses overheard plotting to burglarize Judge FUnderburk’s home, and kidnap the judge if he happened to be at his residence.

“It is a serious crime,” said Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson.  He said Fowler,  along with Thomas Waddell and William Randolph, hatched the plot.

Fourth Judicial District Court Judge Betty Sanders presided over Fowler’s hearing. All local judges recused themselves from the case, because they know Judge Funderburk. Judge Sanders accepted the plea deal. Fowler was sentenced to ten years, with 5 suspended. He will also pay $500 to the state crime victim compensation fund, and he will serve five years post released supervision.

Waddell and Randolph are set for trial next month. Sheriff Johnson says the evidence against the trio is overwhelming.

“We are ready to go forward we can’t elaborate a lot on the case, due to the fact that we got a trial coming up we don’t want to do anything that would jeopardize that but we are definitely ready to go forward, if they had time we would go today,” Sheriff Johnson said.

Fowler also plead guilty to a drug charge and received a three year sentence for that crime.

The Attorney General’s office is prosecuting all three defendants in the case.