Left: Jordan Mangum. Right: Jessica Wheeler (Polk County Jail).
An Iowa couple received lengthy prison terms for abducting the man’s former girlfriend, binding her, and attempting to kill her by slashing her throat and repeatedly running her over with a vehicle. This was all in a desperate bid to stop a prior domestic violence case from proceeding.
Jordan Blake Mangum, aged 42, was sentenced on Friday to a maximum of 45 years in prison and must serve over 22 years before being eligible for parole. His accomplice, 36-year-old Jessica Ann Marie Wheeler, was handed a 35-year sentence and must spend more than 17 years in prison before qualifying for parole.
Last month, Mangum made an Alford plea to charges of attempted murder, third-degree kidnapping, assault with a dangerous weapon, and domestic abuse. An Alford plea means the defendant does not admit guilt but recognizes that the prosecution has sufficient evidence for a conviction. Wheeler admitted guilt to attempted murder and kidnapping charges.
The Polk County Attorney’s Office said in a press release the incident occurred on Dec. 2, 2023, when Mangum and Wheeler entered the Des Moines home of Luna Cox. They bound her hands with duct tape before forcing her into a minivan and driving her to Mangum’s home. The defendants then took Cox to another location where they strangled her, slashed her throat and ran her over several times with the van.
After Cox begged for her life, Mangum dropped her off at a hospital.
According to prosecutors, Mangum had been arrested some two weeks prior for assaulting Cox. The victim said the suspects had come to her home the day before the kidnapping in an attempt to get her to drop the domestic violence case. When she refused, the attacks escalated.
Cox survived the attack and spoke at her attackers’ sentencing. She said Mangum had abused her physically, psychologically and emotionally throughout their more than 10 years together. Cox said what she endured was “not love, but control masquerading as care.”
She also spoke of her healing process:
The road to recovery has rarely been simple for me. There are moments when feelings like anger and sadness become overwhelming. Even so, this journey has reignited my determination — not to allow anyone else to define who I am or diminish my dignity. By engaging in therapy, reaching out to supportive people, and trusting my own intuition, I am focusing not just on safety, but also on building a life filled with genuine happiness.
Now, as I stand here, I know that telling this truth out loud is the bravest act I will ever perform. Speaking these words, I am not only asking for justice — I am reclaiming my voice.
Mangum apologized his actions but said he had difficulty coming up with the right words.
Judge Joseph Seidlin did it for him.
“What you, Mr. Mangum, did to the mother of your child, was that you kidnapped her, assaulted her and tried to kill her,” he said, according to a courtroom report from the Des Moines Register. “Those are words that are readily available in our language to acknowledge.”
Wheeler blamed Mangum for the ordeal and said he threatened her. She reportedly said the duo only spoke “jokingly” about the kidnapping before it actually happened.
Seidlin also was unimpressed by Wheeler’s explanation.
“This was grotesque from start to finish, and you had the ability to stop this at any point in time, and you didn’t,” he said, per the Register.
Cox is reportedly raising her and Mangum’s 6-year-old son on her own and working in retail while going to school for accounting.
