Suspects kept woman chained in Owyhee barn, and one man abused her child, authorities say
Editors note: The content in this article is graphic and may be upsetting to some readers.
A review of court documents in Owyhee County reveals that the child Chancey Baker was charged with sexually abusing on Thursday belongs to the 36-year-old woman he allegedly kidnapped and chained in a barn last year for eight days.
Baker, 36, is a registered sex offender who has been charged on suspicion of 10 new child sex crimes, after a judge determined Thursday that there was probable cause for 10 of 21 counts sought by the prosecutor.
Owyhee County sheriff’s detectives reported that on Dec. 14, Baker and his roommate, Mikal Christensen, 24, kidnapped a Homedale woman from her mobile home on Lootens Lane. Christensen, who has a felony conviction for attempted injury to child in Minidoka County, spent time in prison with Baker.
Tressa Sipes, 41, who also lives in the area, was charged as an accessory to second-degree kidnapping and with burglary.
According to probable cause affidavits, Baker and Christensen taped the woman’s hands and legs, and tied her up with rope. They are accused of taking her to a nearby milk barn, with blankets on the walls and a chain hooked to one wall, with a lock on the end.
They reportedly chained the woman’s leg to the wall and kept her captive until Dec. 22, when she was able to escape by breaking the lock with the use of tweezers and a drill bit.
Prior to her escape, the suspects checked on the woman periodically and had a baby monitor in the barn, with the receiver at their nearby mobile home, according to the affidavits. The woman told police that they brought her food, water and prescription medications.
One affidavit says that Christensen told detectives that Baker was the “mastermind” behind the plan, and the goal was to manipulate the woman’s medication until she died, and then dump her body in rural Owyhee County.
Court documents allege that Sipes was involved because she was having an affair with the 36-year-old woman’s husband. Authorities claim that she knew of the kidnapping and failed to report it, and a criminal complaint alleges that Sipes took the woman food while she was chained in the barn.
As of Friday, Baker is the only one accused of sexually abusing the 10-year-old child. Authorities said they found a memory card that had a video recording and images of the repeated abuse.
According to the Idaho Department of Correction, Christensen was released on parole on July 25, 2017. Baker was released on parole on Aug. 15, 2017. The two men lived in the same housing units at the Idaho State Correctional Center periodically from October 2015 until July 2017.
Christensen is facing charges of suspected conspiracy to commit kidnapping, second-degree kidnapping, burglary, illegal possession of a weapon, and possession of methamphetamine.
Baker was charged Thursday with eight counts of lewd conduct with a child younger than age 16 and two counts of sexual abuse of a child younger than age 16. He also faces charges of suspected conspiracy to commit kidnapping, second-degree kidnapping, burglary, illegal possession of a weapon and grand theft.
Baker’s prison term came after a conviction in 2005 in Owyhee County for felony injury to child, with that sentence running concurrently to one he received for a 2004 Canyon County conviction on lewd conduct with a child under age 16.
Owyhee County Sheriff Perry Grant told the Statesman that he believes Baker has other victims, and he encouraged anyone with information to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 208-495-1154.
Survivors who may need help are also encouraged to contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
The Boise Women’s and Children’s Alliance can be reached locally at 208-345-7273.
This story was originally published February 22, 2019 at 2:10 PM.
