Two men were sentenced Tuesday in Sault Ste. Marie on charges related to a March 2019 kidnapping case.
According to the Chippewa County Prosecutor’s Office, Jon Stygler, 70, and George Cunningham, 56, carried out a plan to kidnap Cunningham’s 5-year-old biological son from a Paradise home in March 2019. Cunningham’s son was removed from his care several years prior as a result of Cunningham being convicted of an unrelated crime and placed in the home of a Chippewa County family.
Law enforcement say Cunningham and Stygler broke into the house and were armed with clubs, wasp spray and knives. They tied up the family before kidnapping Cunningham’s son.
The two got away in a pick-up truck and then ditched the truck before walking out on the ice of Whitefish Bay with the child and heading on foot towards Canada. The two were eventually tracked down on the ice by Chippewa County deputies.
Cunningham was convicted on one count of first degree child abuse, one count of armed robbery, one count of first degree home invasion, five counts of unlawful imprisonment and one count of kidnapping. Stygler was convicted on one count of armed robbery, one count of first degree home invasion, five counts of unlawful imprisonment and one count of kidnapping.
Cunningham was sentenced to 39.5 t0 50 years in prison while Stygler was sentenced to 26.6 to 50 years.
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