Missing Wyoming teen found after police find her ID; man charged with her rape

SHELLEY — A 33-year-old man was arrested after police reportedly discovered the ID of a missing teenage girl in a car, leading them to find her at his hotel room and file charges against him for rape.

Russell Raudman has two active cases: one where he is charged in Bingham County with misdemeanor resisting or obstructing officers, and another in Bonneville County where he is charged with felonies for rape of a victim who is 16 or 17 years old, second-degree kidnapping, and misdemeanor providing shelter to a runaway child.

Police reports say Raudman picked up a 17-year-old from Lincoln County, Wyoming, in early August and took her to the Quality Inn at 525 River Parkway in Idaho Falls.

Raudman allegedly raped the victim while at the hotel on Aug. 3.

On Aug. 4, Raudman reportedly took the victim to the Flintrock Retreat, located at 326 North State Street in Shelley. The next day, the teen’s mother called Raudman and asked if he knew where the missing teen was. He denied knowing where she was, and the mother reported the teen as a missing runaway on Aug. 5.

According to a news release from the Shelley Police Department, an officer pulled over a car early Wednesday morning after witnessing multiple traffic violations.

During the search, a police K-9 positively alerted to the presence of illegal substances in the car. Officers searched the vehicle, reportedly finding methamphetamine, fentanyl, and drug paraphernalia.

Police say they also found a state-issued ID card belonging to the missing teen. When questioned, the driver, who was not Raudman, told officers that the missing teen was alone at the Flintrock Retreat.

According to court documents, officers responded to the hotel and knocked on the door three times, announcing themselves as police.

One of the officers decided to go around the building, where they found Raudman attempting to hide behind a white pickup truck. The officer told him to come out from behind the truck with his hands up. He initially refused, but he was soon detained.

According to police reports, Raudman had been “leaving the room of a runaway juvenile, by jumping out of the window.”

Raudman initially denied knowing the teen, but later stated that he did know her.

The teen was then taken to a forensic interview, where she reportedly disclosed that Raudman had taken her from Wyoming, brought her to Idaho Falls, and raped her.

Raudman was detained and taken for an interview, where he allegedly admitted to taking the teen to Idaho Falls from Wyoming and to being aware that she was a runaway juvenile. He also reportedly admitted to lying to the teen’s mother about her whereabouts and admitted to raping her at the Idaho Falls hotel. He also allegedly admitted to raping the teen three to four times in Wyoming.

Raudman was arrested and booked into the Bonneville County Jail on a $20,000 bond. A no-contact order was issued for the victim, and Raudman is expected to appear for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 20.

If convicted, he could face up to life in prison.

Though Raudman has been charged with these crimes, this does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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