Former prison guard admits to kidnapping, killing woman

A former corrections officer pleaded guilty to kidnapping a grandmother from her home, killing the woman and leaving her body on the side of a rural road.

The Yakima-Herald Republic reports Theresa L. Wiltse’s admission Monday came two weeks before she was scheduled to face a jury on charges of aggravated first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping.

The 50-year-old Wiltse will spend the rest of her life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Sandra Harris.

Wiltse used a voice modulator to distort her voice, and through phone calls and text messages, demanded $250,000 from Sandra Harris’ husband, Randy Harris, who owns Ace Jewelry & Loan in Kennewick.

Wiltse was arrested after collecting the ransom. Cash, a gun, ammunition and blood were discovered in her rental car.

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Information from: Yakima Herald-Republic, http://www.yakimaherald.com