A man from Iowa allegedly abducted a woman and forced her to watch the television miniseries “Roots” while threatening to violently end her life if she tried to leave.
52-year-old Robert Lee Noye is a black man who lives in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
On February 17, Noye allegedly held a woman captive inside of his home and told her that she was required to stay there and watch the entirety of the 1977 television miniseries “Roots” with him. The woman also reportedly had her 12-year-old daughter with her during the alleged forced viewing.
At some point during the 9-hour program, a call was placed to 911 and the authorities reported that all they could hear on the line was what sounded like “lots of screaming.”
The location of the call was tracked using GPS, and the Cedar Rapids police went to the address they believed the call had come from.
When they knocked on the door of the home Noye reportedly answered, and a 37-year-old crying woman was allegedly inside with her daughter. The police asserted that Noye appeared as if he was intoxicated.
As they collected a statement from the alleged victim, the woman told the police that she and her daughter were held overnight, and Noye continued to strike her while threatening her life. She said that he told her if she tried to leave his home without watching the series so that she could “better understand her racism,” he was going to chop up her body and leave the pieces on the Interstate on his way to Chicago.
Noye was taken into custody and booked into the Linn County Jail for suspicion of harassment, and false imprisonment.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a crime, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.
Updated: