Ontario men admit to kidnapping Calgary teen at movie theatre for $80K ransom

Meghan Grant · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 27, 2025 6:37 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

Two Ontario men person admitted to kidnapping a Calgary teen from a section movie theatre and holding her for 34 hours portion proof-of-life photos were sent to the 19-year-old victim's family.

The men, Raejean Hudson and Enyi-Egbe Idedevbo travelled from Vancouver to kidnap the victim, with a committedness to beryllium paid $80,000.

CBC News volition telephone the young pistillate LE successful bid to comply with a work ban. 

On Friday, Hudson and Idedevbo pleaded blameworthy to kidnapping and were handed four-and-a-half twelvemonth sentences by Justice Margaret Keelaghan aft a associated submission was projected by defence lawyers Andrea Urquhart and Jeanine Zahara and prosecutors Donna Spaner and Katherine Love.

'No thought wherefore she was being abducted'

With recognition for the clip they've already served, the brace person astir 2 years near successful custody. 

Court heard that connected April 29, 2023, Hudson and Idedevbo travelled from Vancouver to Calgary to kidnap a subordinate of the "E" family, according to an agreed connection of facts (ASF) filed arsenic portion of the plea. 

The unfortunate was not progressive successful immoderate transgression activity, according to the ASF. 

"At the clip she was kidnapped, she was unaware that she was related to anyone who was," work the statement. 

"She had nary thought wherefore she was being abducted."

On apical of a chopped of the ransom money, the 2 men had been promised that "if they did 'good' enactment determination was further lucrative enactment that would beryllium disposable to them," the connection said. 

Hudson and Idedevbo had been told that the constituent of the kidnapping "was to get cause trafficking merchandise returned to whomever had hired them," according to the ASF. 

Rented Airbnb

At slightest 4 radical were progressive successful the kidnapping, but lone Hudson and Idedevbo person been identified. 

Three days aft they arrived successful Calgary, the men tracked LE down astatine a section theatre.

They pulled up beside her conveyance successful the parking batch and erstwhile she exited the theatre, conscionable aft 6 p.m., the men grabbed LE arsenic she approached her car, forcing her into the backmost of their Hyundai Santa Fe. 

The men took LE to the basement of a rented Airbnb.

LE's eyes were covered successful duct tape, but she could spot achromatic integrative covering the walls and floors.

Her wrists and ankles were besides duct-taped.

One of the men recorded LE portion different held an unlit butane torch successful beforehand of her face.

Proof-of-life video 

That video and different "proof-of-life" photos and videos were sent to LE's family, including her brother, making the ransom demand.

At immoderate constituent during the kidnapping the unfortunate was forced to undress and immoderate of her jewlery was stolen. 

The agreed facts don't marque it clear why LE was released, but aft 34 hours, she was dropped disconnected astatine the intersection of Glenmore Trail and Range Road 282.

Police rapidly located the young woman, who was physically uninjured.

LE has suffered superior intelligence harm. She has been incapable to enactment and has dropped out of school.

A unfortunate interaction connection was written by LE, but it was not existent aloud successful tribunal astatine her request.