Crime and Courts

Cody abduction suspect appears in court in Bozeman, waives extradition to Wyoming

Posted: Oct 15, 2012 4:25 PM by Erin Schattauer
Updated: Oct 16, 2012 8:44 AM

BOZEMAN - The suspect in the abduction and assault of an 11-year-old Cody, Wyoming girl will be transported back to Park County, Wyoming to face charges.

Jesse Paul Speer, 39, signed a waiver to forgo extradition proceedings in a District Court room in Bozeman, Montana on Monday afternoon.

Speer appeared without glasses after public defender Eric Brewer explained that authorities had been taken from him. Wearing a standard orange prison jumpsuit, Speer spoke little during Monday's hearing.

Speer was arrested in Belgrade without incident on Saturday, five days after the abduction and assault took place in Cody. On Monday, Oct. 8, an 11-year-old girl was abducted by a man who enticed her into his SUV by asking for help finding his missing puppy. She was later found and reunited with her family.

Speer will be kept at the Gallatin County Detention Center without bond until he can be transported back to Wyoming to face charges of kidnapping, aggravated assault and use of a firearm.

A hearing is set for Oct. 30 in Gallatin County for Speer if he has not been extradited to Wyoming by that day.