NH Sen’s Wife Safe After Knife-Point Abduction, Robbery
by Bethany Stone and Jordan Carleo-Evangelist
WASHINGTON – Kathleen Gregg, the wife of New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg, was abducted at knifepoint Tuesday from her suburban Washington home and forced to withdraw money from a bank, authorities said. She was released unharmed after providing cash to her kidnappers.
Ms. Gregg, 52, found two men in her home in the posh suburb of McLean, Va., when she arrived at about 9:30 a.m., according to police in Fairfax County, Va. The two men – one white, one black – demanded money and one drew a knife, police spokeswoman Shelley Broderick said.
One of the men used Ms. Gregg’s car to drive her to a nearby branch of Wachovia bank, while his partner followed in another car, police said. The men forced Ms. Gregg to enter the bank and withdraw an undisclosed amount of money, then grabbed the cash and sped away in a silver Cheverolet Monte Carlo with Virginia license plates.
The suspects were last seen headed toward Washington.
It is not known if the abductors knew that Ms. Gregg is married to a U.S. senator.
“This morning Kathy Gregg was a victim of a violent robbery,” Sen. Gregg’s spokesman, Jeff Turcotte, said in a statement. “Her life was threatened, and it was a terrifying experience. Thanks to quick decisions made by Mrs. Gregg, she is doing fine and out of harm’s way.”
Gregg’s office declined to comment further because of the police investigation, but neighbors in the quiet suburb were shocked by the assault.
“Nothing ever happens here,” said a neighbor, who asked that her name not be used. “I’ll be a little more careful, I think, make sure the locks are locked in my car.”
She added that the assault on Ms. Gregg was especially disturbing because “she’s pretty sharp, she’d be paying attention.”
“It’s a nice, safe neighborhood,” said a longtime neighborhood resident, who also spoke on condition of anonymity. “I wouldn’t expect this to be something that’s going to be happening a lot.” He said the neighborhood is far from a main road and rarely sees any commotion.
But Fairfax police said they’re looking into a possible connection between yesterday’s assault and an abduction that took place in a 7-Eleven parking lot about a mile away little more than a week ago.
In that case, a 29-year-old woman and her two small children were kidnapped at gunpoint by an unidentified white male and forced to drive to a nearby bank and withdraw money. The kidnapper directed the woman to drop him off on the same block as Ms. Gregg’s bank. The mother and children were not hurt.
“It’s definitely on the top of our minds that they be related,” said Officer Courtney Young, a spokeswoman for the Fairfax County Police Department.
New Hampshire legislators expressed relief over Ms. Gregg’s safe return.
“This was obviously a very traumatic event for Kathy,” Rep. Charles Bass (R-N.H.) said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. “My thoughts are with her and the entire Gregg family as they deal with the aftermath of this terrible ordeal. I am hopeful that the perpetrators of this crime will soon be caught and punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
“We’re extremely, extremely happy that Mrs. Gregg is safe,” said T.J. Crawford, spokesman for Rep. Jeb Bradley (R-N.H.).
Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.) also issued a message of support for the Gregg family.
“This was an outrageous and horrific crime,” he said. “It’s an incredible relief to know that Kathy Gregg is safe, and we can only hope that her assailants will be caught quickly and brought to justice.”
