Man Locked Girlfriend In Box For Months, Missouri Sex Offender James Horn Still On The Run

A Missouri man locked his girlfriend in a box for months, and police are still searching for James Horn, who has a history as a violent sex offender. Police have released a description of his last known location and they are asking the public for help in finding him.

In a related report by the Inquisitr, police have been searching for James Horn since they received a 911 call from a woman who claimed she had been locked in a box by her boyfriend, but managed to escape.

“We actively have officers out looking for this subject,” said Sedalia Police Department Chief John DeGonia, according to the Sedalia Democrat. “Later in the evening, we got tips where he was at. It was south of town in the county. We responded, we called (Missouri State) Highway Patrol and the (Pettis) County (Sheriff’s Office) for help and sent some officers out there. When we got there we found his vehicle, but he was not there. He is still (at large). We got another tip this morning, and we have teams out looking for him and we will continue to do that until we locate him.”

According to the reports, the relationship between the victim and James Horn “began as consensual, but it eventually led to ‘you can’t leave.'” The woman had not been reported as missing since neighbors had occasionally seen the dating couple outside from time to time. SPD Detective Josh Howell said the victim also had contact with others, including family members, but Horn was described as being very controlling.

Howell also said they verified the claim that the Missouri man locked his girlfriend in a box. Police officers initially responded to the 911 call and did a protective sweep to ensure evidence would not be destroyed. After they found a wooden box, police obtained a search warrant and what the victim told police is exactly what they found.

“While we were obtaining the search warrant we were also interviewing the victim, she gave details about how she was held captive and where,” Howell said. “Once we obtained a search warrant and served it, we did indeed find a homemade wooden container that would certainly contain a human being. It appeared to be used for just that purpose.”

Although it may sound odd that the man locked his girlfriend in a box for four months, James Horn does have a prior history of sexual battery and kidnapping. While still 24 years old, back in 1992, Horn is said to have tied his then-girlfriend up with duct tape in order to rape her. He then tied her hands behind her back, drove to a bridge with his truck, and forced her to have sex again in public.

In addition, in 1996, he raped and kidnapped his estranged wife after locking her eight-year-old daughter in an attic. The ex-wife was kept tied up as they moved between motels, but eventually federal agents raided their next stop. The FBI SWAT team then forced him to stand down since he held a knife to her throat. Although Horn was classified as a “sexually dangerous person” he was eventually released from prison in December of 2011.

James Horn is described as 5’11” and 175 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair. According to FOX4KC, his vehicle was located south of Sedalia in Pettis County, Missouri. Police believe it is possible Horn may harm himself or law enforcement officers. If anyone sees Horn or has any information, they are encouraged to call the Sedalia Police Department immediately at 660-826-8100.

[Image via Sedalia Police]