Gov. Michael Parson signed a fugitive warrant to extradite a Nevada man charged with kidnapping his elderly mother.
Roger Hillygus originally was arrested in Nevada in August 2019 for kidnapping the now-deceased Mrs. Susan Hillygus after a stand-off with police.
As previously reported in the Epoch Times, Hillygus faced kidnapping charges for walking his mother, Mrs. Hillygus, out of an assisted living facility because she allegedly had soiled pants and a black eye. However, Mrs. Hillygus was under court-appointed adult guardianship that required permission from her guardian to leave the premises.
“They were overmedicating my mother and keeping her in a facility against her will,” Hillygus told The Epoch Times last year. “She wanted to leave and be with her brother in California, so I took her there because every time I visited her, she wanted to leave."
Hillygus had been out on bail while waiting to resolve the kidnapping charges in Washoe County, Nevada, court but when he failed to report for a psychological evaluation, Judge Barry Breslow issued a warrant.
"[Hillygus] did have a Clay County Fugitive Out of State charge, so that was dismissed in lieu of the governor's warrant,” said Sarah Boyd, public relations manager with the Clay County Sheriff's Office. “The fact that the Missouri fugitive charge was dismissed has no overall effect on his case.”
Hillygus’ life as a fugitive from Nevada ended on Oct. 3, 2022, when he was surrounded by three law enforcement agencies at gunpoint and taken to Clay County Detention Center, according to Jodi Mueller, a friend of Hillygus who was present when he was apprehended.
“Governor Parson signed Hillygus’ warrant Dec. 20,” Boyd told the St. Louis Record. “We didn’t receive it until Dec. 23, a day on which Court was closed due to severe weather. The court remained closed for the holidays until Dec. 27. That’s the day the judge served Hillygus with the governor’s warrant.”
Stephanie Whitaker, Gov. Parson's deputy communications director, declined to comment on the process but Boyd said it is standard procedure for a state charge to be filed when a fugitive from out-of-state refuses to sign a waiver so that the person can pursue legal avenues to fight extradition.
While Hillygus was detained in Clay County, officials investigated threatening emails that were sent to the judge, according to Boyd.
“He has some interesting friends," she said. "Judge Krauser received emails requesting his immediate release, that they considered the court proceedings to be illegitimate and at the bottom of the page of one of the emails is what appears to be pictures of three books, one of which is titled ‘Killing Judges.'"
Originally, Hillygus’ bail was $100,000 but by Nov. 29, 2022, had increased to $1 million.
“The bail change came after a judicial review of the initial bond,” Boyd said. “A major factor in determining bonds is how likely a defendant is to show up to court. Hillygus’ ten months as a fugitive from Nevada charges likely informed that decision.”
Hillygus was released from the Clay County Detention Center on Jan. 7 and is reportedly still in transport to Nevada.
“For the safety of the transport team, we’re not sharing what agency is carrying out Hillygus’ extradition at this time,” Boyd added.
Washoe County District Attorney Michelle Bays did not respond to requests for comment.
Britney Spears’ guardianship, known as conservatorship in California, has raised awareness of the abuses that can allegedly occur under court supervision.
For example, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) reports court-appointed guardianships being used for surveillance, to deny visitation with friends and family, to interfere with reproductive rights, to deny medical care, nutritious meals, and to confine individuals without consent.