Get out of the truck. Who is that? And what the is his issue? >> don't know him. >> Did you want to be in there? >> No. What happened? Tell me what happened. I I was I was just going for a walk and he told me to get in the car and pushed me in the truck. After they got caught. I didn't get caught. She was rough. Did she tell me to drive? Come on, baby. Get off of my back. I told y'all I got tired of getting He tried to She tried to touch you? Yep. And then after he tried to touch you, what else happened? I'm not answering no more questions. I'm done. Friday, May 12th, 2023, Prince George's County, Maryland. Along I-495, a kidnapping [music] report turned a U-Haul pulled over on the shoulder into the end point of an episode that had begun hours earlier as a private argument between the victim and her former partner. What officers were about to discover, a woman bound with an electrical cord, injured and held for hours in the back of the truck, was only possible to locate because a witness saw the assault [music] and provided precise details to track the vehicle. Now, the question is, how was something like this even possible? I'm Tyler, and this is your daily dose of crime. Get your daily dose of crime every single day at 3:00 p.m. Eastern, and we're turning it up. Two videos per day. Don't miss a single moment and tune in. Get out of the truck. Get out. Get out. Get out. You're trying to put it in You're here, so Get OUT OF THE TRUCK. GET OUT. TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF THE TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF THE GAS. TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF THE GAS. TAKE GET YOUR FOOT OFF THE GAS. STOP. TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF THE GAS. STOP. STOP. PUT IT IN PARK. PUT IT IN PARK. PUT IT IN PARK, LADY. GET OUT OF THE TRUCK. COME ON, FEMALE. GET OUT. GET OUT. GET OUT. >> GET OUT. GET OUT. STAND over here. >> Stand over here. Sit on the ground. My car. My car. Who is that? And what the is his issue? >> I don't know him. >> want to be in there? >> No. So, was he holding you against your will? >> Yes, THAT'S WHY I WAS LIKE THIS. NO, I DON'T. GET OUT OF THE TRUCK. STOP. TURN THE KEY. I DON'T KNOW. >> TURN the key. Turn this. Get off the keys. Murray, hit the unlock button. Come on. Come on. No. Come on. Get over there. Come on. Let's go. Come on. I'm trying. Yeah. I'm trying, man. I'm trying, baby. Okay. I'm going to turn. Get over there. Stand up and get over there. >> Well, I don't know why you didn't think about that before this. Oh, yes, sir. Come on. Get up. >> I'm going to mess around and make me crazy. Yeah. Come on, sir. Get up. Come on. Get up. Get yourself together. I can't, baby. In my head. Come on. Baby, let's go. Get Come on. Stand up. I'm right here. Yeah. All right, hold on. Ain't nothing wrong. Come on. Come I'm trying to leave. I'm going to go. Yeah. Oh. No. Oh, come on, man. Come on, man. Come on. In this initial stage, officers arrive with a critical piece of information. The U-Haul driver is Dennis Edward Bell, identified by the 911 caller. They know he may be holding a woman against her will, but his reaction immediately complicates the stop. Instead of responding clearly, Bell resists, shifts his story, and begins speaking incoherently. That behavior suggests to officers that he's trying to redirect attention, buy time, or even confuse the narrative of what actually took place. To them, it's not a momentary panic. It's the continuation of a control dynamic that began long before the patrol car intercepted him on I-495. Relax. Relax. Oh. I'm bleeding all over the place. I think I JUST GOT FIXED. OH. PLEASE HELP ME, SIR. IT'S MY LEG. HUH? COME ON, SIR. Come on, sir. Ow. Ow. Yes, sir. Yes, please. Please get off my back and my leg. There was also a naked female in there. Okay. Yeah, she said she's over there. She said she didn't want to be in there, but I don't know how true that is. Murray, are you cut cuz he's nasty? Are you cut cuz he's nasty? My hands, sir. My money, money, money. Man, what the happened? I didn't do nothing wrong. He ran into me. I didn't do nothing wrong. He hit me. Where did this all start? I don't know what happened. I didn't do nothing wrong. I was going to have to get off the left road. Yeah, we got him in the Uh three and five, though. Save me, man. I didn't do nothing wrong. I just want to ask him to drive. I said, "Sir, after they got caught I didn't get caught. She was rough. Did she tell me to drive? Come on, baby. Get off of my back. I told y'all I got tired of getting He's driving this This is what I'm feeling. He's talking to the driver. Okay. It almost was. This is what she said. So, she was She was what? Naked? Yeah, she was naked. What's your name, my man? My name is What's your name? Uh my name is Eric. You don't have a name? No, man. His name is Funkum, but I don't believe that's him. That dude's a lot younger than uh I don't know who that is. I don't know who that is. This guy told I mean, you can hear my mouth. I'm sitting up, man. I didn't do anything wrong. I didn't do nothing wrong. I'm not on anything. I just drank, man. And he gave me a matter. What's your name, man? I don't know who I am, man. I don't know. Do you want to go home? I can't go home, man. Where do you want to go? >> I have nowhere to go, man. I have no home to go to. You want to go back to the U-Haul? I'm going to no I don't. You want to go back to that truck? >> no home, man. No, that truck. I'm going to go to that truck. They told me to drive. All right, do you I'm driving. Where do you want to go? I don't know where I want to go, man. I just need to know your name. We'll take you there. What's your name? I don't know my name. Of course you do. Here you go. Driver, we're not going to get off the center road. I got a female passenger right now. What's your name? I can't get him out. He's just flooring it and reversing driving the car. Where are you from? What happened? Tell me what happened. I I was I was just going for a walk and he told me to get in the car and pushed me in the truck. And then he didn't leave. He wouldn't stop driving. I just want your name. Yes. My phone and stuff is in the car, but Your stuff Your phone Your phone is in the in truck? Yeah, and my purse. Were you just walking and he told you to get in the car? Mhm. And pushed me in there. And I couldn't make any phone calls or anything or get out of the car. Call dispatch. All units, 10-3 is still in effect. I'll have you fill out a witness statement when you get a chance. Okay. So, this is a random individual? Yeah. I don't know him. You have your ID in the truck? I'm not I don't have my ID. She was supposed to take me to get my ID today, but that happened. I sent text messages. How long were you guys in the truck? How long were you with him? Um since about 10:00 this morning. So, 10:00 this morning you've been with this guy? Yeah, he wouldn't let me out of the car. Since 10:00 this morning or 10:00 tonight? >> Tonight 10:00 this morning. Do you need any water or anything? Yes, please. Hey, Murray. Does she need to fill out a witness statement right now? Oh, yeah. At the barrack or here? We can do it here? Yeah. I can do it here? As the officers inspect the truck, they begin to understand the part of the case that isn't visible from the outside. The vehicle functioned as a total isolation space where the victim couldn't call out for help or orient herself. Her account, being forced inside, failing to escape, and spending hours without reference points, matches techniques used to break psychological resistance. And although she initially claims not to know Bell, that creates a contradiction the investigation has to later resolve, whether there was a prior relationship and what could have motivated a broad daylight abduction in a rented truck. What becomes more clear from her testimony is that Bell cycled between apparent calm and sudden aggression, a pattern that heightens danger because it removes any predictability. Young lady, do you know who this guy is? No. You don't know who that is? Okay. You had a quiet night, huh? It's like an amusement park, right? >> Yes. Okay. >> to figure out how to get him to stop, but he was just yelling. What was he yelling when you I don't know. He said, "I didn't do anything wrong. I didn't do anything wrong. You can't stop me. We got to get to South Carolina." I don't know. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a MC and then it's like name with two E's on the end. Yeah. Nobody ever gets it. Nobody ever pronounces it right anyway. How do you spell Macnamer? Yeah. I got a nickname. I got a nickname. And your shoes? All right. I'll get that for you. What color is your pants? Black. How did you meet this dude? College Park. LA, you okay? Threw you in the truck? >> Yeah. On Minnesota Avenue? In what DC? Yeah. College Park 1 College Park 4 Australia units. 10-3 is now lifted. What color are your pants? Uh they're um cargos. They're black. >> are your shoes? Um they're like they're pumps. Are they color Are they pumps? >> Gray, blue, and yellow. All right. So we're going to go back down the street. Do you work around there on Minnesota Avenue? Like >> No. Okay. So I'm not trying to insult you. Mhm. Trust me when I say this. I don't even know how to even ask you this question. You're not like You don't work for a living like the night life kind of stuff, do you? Okay, so you're not like a prostitute or anything like that. >> No. I don't care if you are or not. I'm just trying to figure out if maybe he thought maybe you were a prostitute. You guys had some kind of deal and No. Okay, just as a cop that's some of the things we think about. >> Yeah. Okay. So I just asked She was So she said he picked her up on Minnesota Avenue DC. So He said he's He said he's been with us since 10:00 this morning, so I've been She's been with us since 10:00 this morning? >> That's what he She said earlier. Is it your shirt? Can be. Okay. So then I asked her. I said, you know, I don't know how to ask you, but I was like, "Are you like a anything like that? Did you like have some kind of deal?" And I don't know about that. >> No, I don't either. Well, I don't know. It's 10:00 this morning. So you sure not 10:00 tonight? Yeah. She said not 10:00 this morning. Yeah, I know. Yeah, I know. What about it? All right. All right. I got to ask you a few questions, all right? Mhm. So where did he pick you up exactly? Where did he pick you up from? It was um Minnesota Avenue right up the street from the station and it was a convenience store. He picked you up from Minnesota Avenue. What time though? About 10:00 this morning. This morning. So you got picked up at at picked up at Minnesota Avenue. Yeah. At the convenience store. Mhm. Did he like force you to go in the truck or like what happened? >> Man, he threw me in the truck. So he But you said he picked you up He picked you up at Okay, he picked you up at Minnesota Avenue. So what were you doing? You were walking? >> I was walking, yeah. You were walking. >> Mhm. And then he And he he called me over there and but he wouldn't back up for me and he threw me in the truck. Okay. You You don't know him. No, I don't. So you're walking and he just He just called you. Mhm. Did you So when you were walking, did you like pay him any mind? No, I wasn't trying to pay him no mind. >> were walking away. Yeah. And he He approached you. Yeah. So after you after he told you to get in the truck, then what? Um then he drove off. He sped off. So So how did you get in that truck? Did you like >> He threw me in the truck. He threw you in the truck. >> Mhm. And he slammed the door. Mhm. Okay. So after he threw He threw you in the truck, he sped off. And then what else happened? Um Then he had like a blade or something and pricked me. Where did he prick you at? On my fingers. He threw you in the vehicle and he had a blade. Mhm. To prick your fingers. Yep. Yeah. But you You know what time it is right now? No. It's 11:19. You said you were in here since 10:00 this morning. Yeah. So where were you guys driving from 10:00 till now? Uh I don't know the areas. You don't know the areas. So why were you all naked? Huh? Because he he he he dragged me and we was on a truck and so and took my clothes off. He took your clothes off? >> Mhm. He choked you. Yeah. So he choked you and took your clothes off. Mhm. But you said you You guys have been driving You know since 10:00 this morning. >> this morning. And just drove So you So you've been naked sitting in that in that middle area. >> the whole time, yeah. What made you get in the truck? I didn't I wasn't trying to get in the truck. He threw me She said she was walking away. Gentleman approached her, told her to get in the truck and he threw her into the vehicle. And then he has a blade and he was pricking her fingers. Where? Right here. Right here. I was bleeding. What the victim reveals allows investigators to reconstruct the hours leading up to the arrest. Movement through multiple areas of the metro region, short stops, and continuous driving meant to prevent her from knowing where she was. That constant relocation fits the pattern of coercive transport, a method where an aggressor keeps the victim in motion to avoid detection. She also describes conditions that intensified her sense of helplessness, total darkness, lack of ventilation, and rising internal temperatures. The forced nudity, cuts on her fingers, and deliberate disorientation are not isolated actions. They're methods meant to erode her ability to resist. For investigators, these details confirm that the violence did not start in the truck. The confinement was the final stage of an episode already unfolding hours before that door closed. Where was the pricking at? Right here. Right here. Where did you get the Band-Aid from? He was stopped at the store got Band-Aids. He said, "Don't worry about anything." And then he's like >> Hold on. So he stopped. What time did he stop? Do you know? Um So he stopped and left you in the truck. Yeah. I mean the clock was wrong, so I don't know. I mean I checked checked his phone one time, but >> didn't you like get out? He wouldn't let me get out the car. He kept blocking me from getting out the car. So how did he was able to get out and get Band-Aids? I I don't I don't know. He He got out and then he put the arm the walker's walker stick in front of the door and told me not to move and if I moved then he was going to hit me. A walker stick? Yeah. I mean like the walker like a It's a silver like walker. So you know what time you guys went to the store for Band-Aids? Um it was probably about 12:00. You know where where store he stopped at. Um It was Home Depot. Home Depot. You stopped at Home Depot for Band-Aids? No, not Home Depot. I thought he stopped at a Dollar Store or something for Band-Aids and then he stopped at Home Depot. I don't quite know. And you were in the truck the whole time. The whole time, yeah. And And he went to Home Depot and he got paint from Home Depot. He got paint, yeah. While you were in the vehicle. >> Yeah. He told me not to not to get out. He put a walker at the door. Yeah. So why didn't Why didn't you He put the walker So you So you didn't So you didn't want to get out and like >> No, I was trying to get out, but he wouldn't let me out. If I would have put If he said if I would have put up a pulled out a phone then I was going to He was going to hit me. So he He placed a walker at the door so you couldn't get out. >> Mhm. And he threatened to hit you. Yeah. He threatened to hit you. Yes. And after you guys left Home Depot, where did you guys go? Uh he was just driving on the highway. Just driving on the highway. >> Mhm. He said that he wanted to go to North I mean South Carolina. So he I was scared. So after you left Home Depot he was driving You know what highway? Uh I don't know what highway that was really. Ma'am, was Are you hurt? I just want to leave. Were you driving? No, I wasn't driving. He hit the car a real hard and the tire was flat. You said what? >> I was sitting in the middle of the in the middle of the car and he was driving. Did you have your seat belt on? No seat belt. I was just sitting on the floor. My pants are asleep. What time do you need your legs? I need your legs or you got to get up on your legs. Turn around. Turn around for me. You got to face inside the car. I ain't going to let you fall. Just step. You got it. I ain't got my pants. What's that? You got the handcuffs and you took them off. Handcuffs. You took your handcuffs. What about the handcuff? You took your handcuffs. I didn't do anything wrong, Chris. My arms are freezing right here on the ground. I got you, lady. It's not comfortable. There you go. Relax your arm just like that. Yep. I said you moved it and I can't stop. Do your best you can. We're almost in here. You don't want to do what you want. He took a partial written statement. Um he wants to follow up with some questions from you. And just basically verbally get from you what happened. Okay. The man threw me in the car in the U-Haul and he was driving and he would not stop or get out of the car. He would not get out of the car. That's all I have to say. So you said at 10:00 this morning Yes. you were at the convenience store. I was at the convenience store, yes. You were walking. Mhm. And then he approached He He came out of his truck. Mhm. And he approached you on foot. And he told And he told you to get into the He told you to get into the um He told you to get into the the truck, right? Yes. That's what you told me. Mhm. So after he told you to get in the truck, you said you were walking away. He approached you. You got into the truck. He He physically grabbed you and threw you into the vehicle, right? Mhm. All right. So after he He threw you into the vehicle, you also mentioned to me that he started to prick your fingers. Yeah, with the blade. >> the blade, right? >> Yeah. And he choked you. He said he choked you and took your clothes off. >> Yeah. And then you were just sitting there. Mhm. And then you said um >> [snorts] >> he put like he stopped at Home Depot around Well, he stopped at Dollar Store cuz you got Band-Aids on your finger, right? >> Mhm. And then he put a walker in front of the door so you you couldn't get out. And he threatened to hit you if you come out the truck. >> Mhm. And you said he also stopped at Home Depot Mhm. and got some paint Mhm. and put in the vehicle. >> Mhm. And you were naked. And he tried He tried to He tried to touch you. Yep. And then after he tried to touch you, what else happened? Nothing. I was fighting him. You was fighting. Mhm. So you've been in the truck since 10:00 a.m. till 10:00 p.m. Coming from DC. Mhm. All right. Go ahead and try. And that's when we stopped. So after after you left at Home Depot, Mhm. where else did you go? I don't know. We were just driving. He was driving on the highway. I don't know. Then he then then he hit a car. I don't know what I don't know what street it was. He hit a car though. He hit multiple cars. He hit multiple cars. Was this in Maryland or DC? Do you know? I don't know. I think it was DC, really. Cuz the time is 10:00 a.m. and that was like almost midnight. That's why I'm asking you. I mean, it just ended, really. I know, but that's 12 hours you were in a truck with this gentleman for. You don't know >> how was I supposed to get out? Get out? You don't know and you don't know this gentleman's name or nothing? >> don't. No. So, he just grabbed you and put you in the truck and that was it. You couldn't You couldn't get away because you said the walker was blocking it. Mhm. The walker was blocking both doors? Mhm, pretty much, yeah. How? Not at both doors, but one door. He just moved it. So, why didn't you Why didn't you get out the other door? >> How? He's threatening me with blades. He goes into the store. >> Into the store. You said he bought paint and he said and he went to the Dollar Store and bought bandages. Why didn't you get out? I don't know. I'm I'm not trying to answer no more questions. I I really have a headache. Ma'am, you you understand that it's it's their job to ask you questions as the victim. Like But I I don't know. I don't know. I just I want to make sure you know that. They They have to take a statement from you as a victim. Uh you're not in trouble. Okay. It just seems like you're kind of irritated with us. No, I'm not irritated. I just I don't know. I don't know. I know you want to be seen by the doctor, but they All hospitals in the area are just jam-packed. People are Okay. I just want to make sure you know that. It just seems like you're irritated with us. We're just trying to do our jobs. Okay. You know, with the victim in front of us. I know. With both parties taken to separate medical facilities, the most decisive stage begins. Clinical validation. What is documented in these first hours, ligature marks, injuries in different stages, and signs of sustained coercion, reinforces the theory of a prolonged kidnapping in motion. Meanwhile, Bell's behavior during his medical eval shows a pattern that officers had already noticed. He gives contradictory explanations without any physical impairment that would justify an inability to respond coherently. That contrast is common amongst offenders attempting to create doubt about their mental state at the time of the crime. Meanwhile, the victim, now in a safe environment, manages to describe the sequence with greater clarity. Timelines, movements, phrases, and episodes never seen on camera, but essential to sustain the initial charges. All right. So, we stopped like like you said after you left Home Depot, like what else happened? Like between 12:00 till 10:00 a.m. >> kept driving. He wouldn't let me out of the car. >> for 10 hours straight. >> Yes. He didn't stop for gas or tea or make no stop at the gas station or anything? >> No. Do you know where from DC where exactly from DC? He said he was going to Trinidad. He was what? He kept saying Trinidad. Okay. You said he was on his way. He was He was stopping >> He was on his way I think he really was on his way to South Carolina. To South Carolina? Mhm. And you don't know He was not going to stop. He was not trying to let me out of the car or make phone calls or nothing. Like when he stopped, I mean try to ask people and you know say at the car they try to ask if I if I can get out of the car, but they said no. So, you had a cell You had a cell phone? Mhm. So, you not at one time you tried like call somebody? I couldn't. He was threatening me. He did that or he threw it out the window. And then you were just comfortably sitting in the middle just naked. Yeah. Yeah. Did you have Did you Did you have anything to drink today? No. I have not ate or nothing. For 12 hours. >> Mhm. Ate some juice or something. Were you What did you Were you scared? Yeah, I was scared. He was scared. Cuz like the Was he eating out and all that? I don't know. Smell gas and stuff. And he tried to touch you. Mhm. So, he ripped your clothes off? Mhm. Did he touch you? No, he didn't. You said he was fight You You were fighting You were fighting him so he didn't touch you. Yep. I don't know. I've never I've never seen somebody driving that fast before. Or the streets are like that. So, like we go back to the beginning. So, when he when you when you dragged him in the car, you didn't scream or anything? You Yeah, I was screaming. There was nobody around? >> Nobody was around, no. What What about at the store? At the store there? No, I mean people were inside, but not outside. Okay. So, nobody was outside. And you sure you don't know this gentleman? I don't know him. So, he just grabbed you and really went in the truck from 10:00 this morning till almost midnight. Mhm. That's 12 hours you were you you you were in this truck with this with this stranger. Mhm. You are sure you don't know him? I don't know him. Relative, nothing? No. Was he drinking? Probably was. I don't I don't know. I think he got a beer, but I think honestly think he fell over and fell. So, did he touch No. Did you try like anytime at all try to get out like while he was driving? So, you just sat there in the middle just naked. Mhm. And you're okay with that? No. You weren't okay. Mhm. Did he What else did did [snorts] What else did he say to you while you were while you guys were driving to South Carolina? What else did he mention to you? Did he say anything else like where is he going? Like did you ask >> say anything though. He just said he was driving to South Carolina and I couldn't go back home. You said he physically took the clothes off of you? Mhm. Where at? In the car in the truck. While he was driving? Mhm. How did he do that? No, he just driving driving home. Your pants and everything? Everything. Not driving home. I mean stop. He had his foot on the gas. You said while he was driving. Mhm, pretty much while he was driving. And he kept going. He kept going. So, he said the car was going to get hot. He said the what? >> The car was going to get the truck was going to get hot. The truck was too hot? Mhm. The truck was too hot for what? I don't know. He just said He just He said I can't put my clothes on or anything. I Did Did anytime he try to like make a move on you? No. He was just I mean focus I'm I'm I'm trying to figure out how he was going to get from DC or wherever he was to South Carolina. And you were going You were going to be okay just sitting in the middle? No, I wasn't. I was trying to figure out how to get out of it. And you said he pricked you with the knife on your fingers. So, like like when he went to Home When he went to Family Dollar, you said he blocked the door with the with the walker. With the walker again. You were scared to come out the door. Which door did you lock? The passenger or the the driver? So, you didn't want to get out the the passenger side at any time to just get out and run. No, how I don't I don't know. I don't know. I was too far I don't know. It was not a area that I could get back from. Okay. So, the walker is about this tall and maybe 20 lb. I don't know how he locked it. But it doesn't make any sense. Yeah. How did the walker keep the door from opening? I don't He wouldn't let me out of the door. >> No, but your door doesn't make sense. You said that he went to the store. >> No, I'm not answering no more questions. I'm done. The case of Dennis Edward Bell moved quickly through the court system, but the final outcome fell far short of matching the severity of what officers found that day. Although Bell would be arrested on charges of kidnapping, assault, and false imprisonment, supported by physical evidence and the victim's consistent account, the case ultimately resulted in a plea agreement that removed every violent charge. Bell pled guilty only to motor vehicle theft, unauthorized use, two misdemeanor theft counts, resisting arrest, and identity fraud. A prolonged kidnapping in motion was reduced to 2 years of actual prison time, followed with 5 years of supervised release, and just over $1,300 in restitution. A stark contrast between the documented violence and what the justice system ultimately recorded as punishment. What remains indisputable is that a passing witness, the rapid response of officers, and the victim's ability to recount what happened prevented this case from ending in something far more serious. That 911 call was the only reason the story inside that U-Haul on I-495 did not become irreversible.