Man accused of kidnapping wife on Christmas Eve indicted by federal grand jury

A Jackson man who formerly faced felony kidnapping charges in Cape Girardeau County, now faces a federal indictment. James Douglas, 29, appeared Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lewis M. Blanton for his arraignment and a detention hearing.

Blanton issued no orders Tuesday but took Douglas' detention under advisement, according to Cynthia Glueck, clerk of courts for the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Missouri.

Douglas, who allegedly abducted his wife, Jessica Douglas, on Christmas Eve and drove her to Madison County, Miss., will appear again in federal court for a pretrial motion hearing Feb. 24.

Douglas is charged with a federal felony for kidnapping Jessica Douglas and traveling across state lines from Cape Girardeau to Mississippi. He's also charged with possessing a firearm while traveling out of Missouri. Douglas has prior felony convictions of domestic assault and stealing.

In the United States, it is unlawful for an individual convicted of a felony to possess a firearm.

The Cape Girardeau Police Department worked with the FBI to catch Douglas the evening of Dec. 24, tracking his cell phone to Jackson. Jessica Douglas also contacted police and family members from a Super 8 motel in Mississippi, according to a probable-cause statement.

She told police he would not let her leave the room and he had a firearm, which he shot inside the car while they were traveling on Interstate 55. According to the statement, she had a bruised lip and a black eye when she was found.