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Avery Man Held In Jail On Half-Million Dollar Bond After Kidnapping, Assault In Beech Mountain

By Greg Hince

May 24, 2012. An Avery man is being held in jail on a $500,000 bond after a kidnapping and assault case at a Beech Mountain area home Monday afternoon.

Michael Raymond Laws, 54, allegedly kidnapped and bound a female with duct tape at a residence on Russ Norris Road before beating her for a substantial amount of time. She was able to escape to a neighbor’s home to seek help.

Avery County Sheriff Kevin Frye said in a statement that the female was beaten severely about the face and torso area and was flown to Johnson City Medical Center.

Authorities received a 911 call around 3:11 p.m. Monday. In the call, the neighbor reported that the female had escaped from her house and approached him still bound by the hands and ankles with duct tape. She was described as being in “serious but stable condition.”

Authorities quickly arrested Laws. He is being held in Avery County Sheriff’s Office and has been chaged with first degree kidnapping, an attempted sex offense, assault by strangulation, manufacturing marijuana, and assault on a female.

Investigators determined that the victim did know Laws, and would not specify how long the victim was held hostage. She was reportedly so traumatized by the event that investigators have yet to be able to sit down and talk with her.

Frye said Laws has a long criminal history.

The High Country Press attempted to contact the Avery County Sheriff’s office for information on this story, but did not get a response.