Tuesday evening, a frantic 47-year-old mother, Rita Maze, of Great Falls, Montana, called her family from the trunk of her own car in a desperate plea for help.
According to the CBS News, Maze – who was a longtime cook at Morningside Elementary School – was kidnapped from a rest stop on interstate 75, just north of Helena, and forced into the trunk of her black Grand Prix after being struck with a heavy object.
While in the trunk, Maze was able to call her family with her cellphone for about 10 minutes before the phone went dead.
Although she was difficult to understand as the service continued to “fade in and out,” Maze stated that she had been kidnapped by a:
“Massive guy, who was 6 feet, 5 inches tall and wearing a black hoodie.”
Rita Maze was able to call from car trunk and tell her family she'd been abducted. Hours later she was found dead. https://t.co/WK2wX8c6fF
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 8, 2016
She informed her family, as well as the police that she was inside of the trunk of a moving vehicle, but she did not know her location, according to the Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton.
After being kidnapped and trapped inside the trunk of her own car, desperate for help, for 12 hours, police officials were able to track her location – but it was too late.
The following day, Maze was found dead in the trunk of her car, 325 miles from where she was kidnapped, in:
“A parking lot in an industrial area in the 7600 block of West Geiger Boulevard.”
Deputy Mark Gregory, who is with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, said:
“We had received some information that the car may be over here in our area.”
“So basically one of the agencies started pinging the cell phone, which helped us get an area to search and locate the vehicle.”
Woman called police from inside the trunk of her own car before slaying in Montana. https://t.co/MVnovWljkJ pic.twitter.com/2zWQm2094P
— ABC News (@ABC) September 8, 2016
Investigators found a “handgun and two spent shell casings” next to her body.
Blood and the victim’s purse, which contained $50, were located inside of the vehicle.
A local county medical examiner’s office determined that the woman’s cause of death was a gunshot wound to the chest and abdomen.
Rochelle Maze, who is the victim’s daughter, said:
“She was really scared and my dad and I both talked to her on the phone and I had told her that I loved her.”
“She told me she loved me too. And that was pretty much the extent of that. That was the last time I spoke with my mom.”
An investigation is ongoing. View a report of the tragic story here:
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