A long-haul truck driver has been indicted by a federal grand jury after a woman having car trouble that he picked up near the Kentucky-Tennessee state line on I-24 escaped as he attempted to hold her captive.
According to court documents filed last year, 63-year old Roy Nellsch of Alabama encountered a woman whose car was out of gas on I-24, near Fort Campbell, Kentucky last year. He offered to give her a ride to Exit 1 in Clarksville. When Nellsch continued past Exit 1 and Exit 4, the woman became scared and started screaming.
Nellsch then pulled over on the exit ramp at Exit 8 and allegedly pointed a handgun at the woman and told her he was kidnapping her and was going to rape her. He ordered the woman into the sleeper part of the cab where he began assaulting her and ripped her dress.
During the struggle, the woman was able to turn the gun toward Nellsch and pull the trigger but it did not fire. Nellsch produced another handgun and struck the woman in the head. He then allegedly handcuffed the woman, placed a blanket over her, and continued driving along Interstate 24.
As Nellsch was driving, the woman was able to slip one hand out of the handcuffs. She then placed the blanket over Nellsch’s head and placed one arm around his throat while she attempted to steer the truck and honk the horn with the other hand and screamed for him to pull over. Nellsch pulled the truck to the side of road, took the remaining handcuff off the woman and she got out of the truck and flagged down oncoming motorists for help. Nellsch drove away from the scene and was stopped and arrested a short time later in Springfield, Tennessee.
A search of the truck allegedly produced, two handguns; a stun gun; handcuffs; bags containing numerous pairs of women’s underwear and bras and numerous electronic devices, including a digital camera, laptop computers, cell phones, and media storage devices. Examination of the electronic devices found over 10,000 images and videos of child pornography, including videos depicting violence against small children and a ledger with lists of names, ages, locations and descriptions of women and children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Nashville says Nellsch is charged with kidnapping, possession of child pornography and transportation of child pornography.