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Former Sarasota deputy Frank Bybee sentenced to 15 years in prison for kidnapping

Posted at 2:26 PM, Nov 09, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-10 07:43:31-05

SARASOTA, Fla. - Former Sarasota County Sheriff's Office deputy Frank Bybee has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for kidnapping.

Last month, a jury convicted Frank Bybee of kidnapping 79-year-old Marcia Sohl in January 2017.

Bybee broke into Sohl's house and forced prescription medication into her mouth.

He was also sentenced to 10 years of probation.

An investigation suggested Bybee attempted to kill Sohl and make the death look like a suicide. They discovered carbon monoxide in the home after the garage door was left open while a car was left running.

Here's a timeline of events leading from when Bybee met the victim to being charged with an attempt on her life:

  • The relationship originated when Bybee supposedly gained her trust by taking care of her dog, visiting her in the hospital, and introducing her to his kids. 
  • On December 20, 2016, he was reportedly paid to take care of the victim's dog while she was in the hospital. Instead, he allegedly kept the money and sold the dog on Craigslist.
  • On January 9, checks from the victim, which had Bybee's fingerprints on them, were made to Bybee without her knowledge. The alleged attempted murder came just three days later. 
  • Another investigation into Bybee also found evidence he may have moonlighted as a prostitute, while on duty.