Kidnapped woman found dead at crash

ONTARIO, Ore. (AP) — A woman who died in a head-on crash following her reported abduction has been identified as an Idaho woman who had been married to the man suspected of kidnapping.

Anita Harmon, 40, of Weiser, Idaho, died at the scene Monday after the Dodge pickup in which she was a passenger crossed a centerline on an Oregon highway and collided with an SUV, Oregon State Police said. The driver of the SUV, 38-year-old David Bates of Vale, Ore., also died.

Police in Ontario, Ore., were chasing the pickup after being alerted that a woman was being held against her will and had been stabbed. Ontario Police Chief Cal Kunz said it has yet to be determined if the woman died from stab wounds or the crash.

The suspect driving, Anthony Montwheeler of Nampa, Idaho, survived with serious injuries.

Harmon’s car was found abandoned in the middle of a street in Weiser, Ore.

It was not immediately clear if Montwheeler and Harmon were separated or divorced.

The pair had co-owned a scrap-metal business. They were convicted of first-degree theft in 2012 after underpaying a couple by more than $10,000.

Montwheeler was sentenced to two years in prison and his wife was sentenced to 16 months. The two later appealed the convictions and they were dismissed in October.