A makeshift cell, a daring escape: Oregon trial brings kidnapper to justice: Beat Check podcast

Sex workers often face dangerous conditions, but a Seattle woman kidnapped from the street was then subjected to unimaginable terror an Oregon man drove her hours to his house and left her in a makeshift cell of concrete blocks he built in his garage in Klamath Falls.

Incredibly, she managed to escape by brute force by opening a small hole and then squeezing through. She went through a garage door and a gate before waving at a passing motorist.

Crime and court reporter Maxine Bernstein covered the trial of convicted Negasi Zuberi for crimes against the woman and another victim, whose condition came to light during the investigation. Both women confronted Zuberi face to face as they testified.

After Zuberi waived his right to testify and listened to the prosecutor’s closing arguments, he suddenly changed his mind. After all, he wanted to testify. The move could be a key in the prosecution’s meticulous strategy of using testimony, cellphone records, Home Depot videos and more to convince jurors of Zuberi’s guilt.

Ultimately, the federal judge said no, Zuberi’s change of heart was too late. Jurors convicted him of multiple crimes involving the two women.

In this episode, which is about sexual violence, Bernstein talks about:

–The Terrifying Kidnapper Ride from Seattle to Klamath Falls

–The escape to the neighborhood streets

–The fate of the second victim and how police responded to her report

Listen to the full conversation: