'Out of a horror movie': Missouri woman held captive for a month, tortured and used as sex slave

A 22-year-old woman was allegedly held hostage in the basement of a Missouri man until she was able to escape on Friday, police said. 

The victim was being held captive in the home of Timothy Haslett Jr, 39, in Excelsior Springs. The woman was able to escape after he left to take his child to school, according to several reports. After escaping, she ran to a neighboring home to ask for help.

When the neighbors opened the door they found the woman wearing a metal dog color with a padlock around her neck. She showed clear signs of abuse they said.

“She heard a woman screaming and came knocking on the door, so she opened the door and the lady said, ‘You have to help me, I’ve been raped, I’ve been held captive,'” said Ciara Tharp, whose grandmother opened the door. “She’s like, ‘You gotta help me.'”   

Tharp’s grandmother brought the woman into the home, fed her, and wrapped her in a blanket, before calling 911. 

“My grandma could tell she was weak,” Tharp said. “She didn’t have a whole lot of clothes on. She said she had a metal dog collar around her neck and could see the ligature marks around her wrists.”

When the police arrived, the woman told police that she had been picked up by a man called Timothy in September. Since then she had been held hostage in a small room in his basement, where she was restrained with handcuffs around her wrist and ankles. 

The victim, who has not yet been identified, added that he frequently raped and whipped her. 

After obtaining a search warrant for Haslett’s home, police discovered the basement room the woman described.

Haslett had been taken into custody the same day his victim escaped on an unrelated animal control violation. After the discovery of the room, he has been charged with rape, kidnapping, and assault. 

The victim was taken to a hospital to have her wounds treated. Emergency responders also found that the injuries on her back were consistent with being whipped. 

Police are investigating the possibility of additional victims.