Higginsville man gets 12 years for abduction

A Higginsville man was sentenced to 12 years in prison in connection with the abduction of a student from the State Fair Community College campus.

Clifford James Skidmore, 21, had pleaded guilty to felonious restraint in connection with a Jan. 14 incident.

Skidmore went to the campus to see Kelly Shepherd, a former girlfriend. He forced her to leave the campus with him and drive him to Higginsville, threatening to hurt himself or her friend if she refused.

Higginsville police found Shepherd at Skidmore’s home and arrested him. He was found to be a persistent offender because he has two prior felony convictions.

At a hearing before Judge Robert Koffman on Monday, Pettis County Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Mittelhauser urged the judge to impose the maximum penalty of 12 years, while Skidmore requested a sentence of no more than eight years.