UPDATE: Kennewick girl sentenced for role in kidnapping 86-year-old

An 87-year-old great-grandmother watched from the front row Monday as one of three teens charged with her kidnapping was ordered to serve 2 to 2  1/2 years in a juvenile center.

Hazel Abel intended to speak to the judge at KateLynn Kenfield’s sentencing.

But, after listening to Deputy Prosecutor Andrew Howell talk about the November crime that involved her being locked in a car trunk for six hours, Abel was too emotional to speak.

Howell said he and Yessica Rosas, victim/witness unit supervisor in the Benton County Prosecutor’s Office, regularly met with the Abel and kept the Kennewick woman updated throughout the case.

“The events of that night will forever be with her. She has trouble sleeping,” Howell said. “She vividly remembers what happened to her that night, has memory recall based on smells.”

He said it left her frightened and insecure in her own home “and nothing this court can do will bring back that security for her. It’s unfortunate and it’s sad.”

Kenfield was 14 when her boyfriend Billy J. Underwood and Dyllan K. Martin — Abel’s great-grandson — bound, tied and hooded Abel at her Kennewick home and stuffed in the trunk of her own car with her dog.

Kenfield then allegedly rode with the boys to Wood Village, Ore., where they stopped at a Walmart to buy food and other supplies.

There reportedly is no evidence that any of the three Kennewick teens offered help to Abel during the ordeal.

Police and prosecutors have alleged the teens talked about killing Abel and using her car to run away.

Once the car was parked, Abel freed her hands, found the latch to release the trunk lid and escaped with her dog. Walmart employees reportedly came to her aide, calling 911 and providing the then-86-year-old woman with fresh clothing and water.

Kenfield’s trial was held last month in Benton County Juvenile Court. Martin, 16, and Underwood, 15, are being tried as adults on similar charges. Their trials are in May.

Judge Cameron Mitchell found Kenfield guilty of first-degree kidnapping, residential burglary and second-degree vehicle theft.

On Monday, he said they could have been in court dealing with a murder case, instead of a kidnapping, considering the situation Abel was placed in.

Mitchell said it was a horrible, heinous and cruel crime involving a vulnerable victim, but also found “some indication (Kenfield) was acting under duress” when she helped her boyfriend and his friend.

He rejected a prosecution recommendation of 3 to 3  1/2 years above the range, and a defense request for just one year.

He said the standard range for the kidnapping should be enough time for Kenfield to get guidance and mental health treatment while locked up in the state system for youth. After her release, she will be on supervision until her 18th birthday.

The primary focus of the juvenile justice system is rehabilitation.

Kenfield will be given credit for the 167 days she has been in juvenile detention in Oregon and Kennewick.

“I hope you take advantage of the opportunities that are available to you ...,” Mitchell told her. “I know that is not an ideal situation. I know that is not where you want to be.”

“It’s clear from everything I’ve read and seen that you are an intelligent young lady,” he added. “Hopefully you will use this opportunity to move forward in the right direction.”

Kenfield didn’t say anything to the court under the advice of her attorneys. She plans to appeal her convictions.

Attorney Scott Johnson noted the judge found that she was an accomplice to the crime, not a principal, and it would be absurd to lock her up for years just to force her to get treatment.

“KateLynn did not want to be a part of this and, to the extent that she was, it was not a conscious effort on her part,” Johnson said. “It’s a tale as old as time: She meets the bad boy. … She was along for the ride, simply put.”

This story was originally published April 18, 2016 at 6:21 PM with the headline "UPDATE: Kennewick girl sentenced for role in kidnapping 86-year-old."