OTTAWA — A woman who earlier testified that Levi Houston kidnapped her and injured her, testified Tuesday during his trial that none of that happened. The twist came during the jury trial for Houston, 29, Ottawa, began in Franklin County District court Tuesday. He has been charged with kidnapping, aggravated battery, and other charges resulting from an argument he and the woman, who was his long-time girlfriend, had June 9. He also faces separate charges of domestic abuse occurring a few days later. At his preliminary hearing last year, Houston’s long-time girlfriend said that during the course of the argument, which occurred as they drove from Ottawa to Baldwin City and back, he hit her, wrapped a seat belt around her neck, threatened her and threw her into a pond and kept kicking her back into the pond. During her testimony Tuesday, the woman said either that it didn’t happen or she couldn’t recall telling police that. County Attorney Before the woman’s testimony, Heather Jones told the jury that the woman now refuses to cooperate with prosecutors and has hired her own attorney. Jones told the jury that in domestic abuse cases, the victims frequently try to drop charges against their abusers.
The woman was forced to testify Tuesday in the first day of Houston’s trial in which Jones highlighted her previous allegations.
