ISP dispatchers honored for critical role in locating kidnapping victim

LEWIS COUNTY — Two Idaho State Police communications officers are being credited with helping rescue a kidnapping victim and guiding troopers to a suspect during a tense incident in mid-June.

On June 16, ISP Regional Communications Officer Thomas Conrad and Senior Regional Communications Officer Jamielyn Rupe sprang into action after authorities received a welfare report about a young woman at a local business who said she needed help and was not safe. By the time officers arrived, she had left, leaving behind only a phone number and a photo showing her with an unidentified man.

With no clear direction of travel and little information to go on, locating her was expected to be difficult. Conrad and Rupe quickly began piecing together clues, working to identify both individuals and narrow down the woman’s possible location.

As investigators continued to gather information, they made contact with the woman, who told them she was being held against her will and was in danger. Using available tools and carefully connecting details, the two dispatchers helped guide law enforcement to a residence in Kamiah, where the suspect and victim were believed to be.

Because of credible threats and the heightened risk to both the victim and officers, the ISP SWAT team was deployed. While troopers responded, investigators stayed in communication with the woman, who ultimately managed to free herself and escape to safety. SWAT officers later took the suspect into custody. He has been charged with kidnapping.

ISP Trooper Welling praised the dispatchers’ work, saying, “What they did was simply outstanding. They are force multipliers, enabling troopers on the road to do their jobs effectively. Without their work, the victim would have remained in serious danger.”

For their efforts, Conrad and Rupe were awarded Distinguished Achievement Awards, recognizing their professionalism and dedication to public safety.