Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Hailey woman suspected of parole violation

Biddle made past allegations of sexual abuse at county jail


By TERRY SMITH
Express Staff Writer

Gretchen Fay Biddle

A woman who alleged two years ago that she was sexually abused while incarcerated in the Blaine County Jail was arrested last week in Hailey on suspicion of burglary and parole violation.

Forty-five-year-old Gretchen Fay Biddle, of Hailey, was arrested by Hailey police Thursday, April 5. Police Chief Brian McNary said Biddle is suspected of illegally entering two homes in the city and stealing prescription medication.

Biddle, who has been arrested and convicted previously on similar charges, had not been charged with any new crimes as of Tuesday but was being held for investigation of parole violation at the Mini-Cassia Criminal Justice facility in Burley, where Blaine County typically sends its female inmates.

The Blaine County Jail no longer has accommodations for women prisoners, a policy implemented in part because of allegations of sexual abuse that Biddle raised while she was incarcerated at the jail in the summer of 2005.

Biddle alleged that in June and July of that year that she had sex while incarcerated with former jailer Michael Lance, who committed suicide in August 2005 while Biddle's claims were being investigated.

Biddle's allegations and Lance's death were later investigated by the Idaho Attorney General's Office, which concluded in April 2006 that Lance had "engaged in inappropriate behavior" with Biddle and other female inmates but was unable to determine whether or not Biddle and Lance had sex together.

Biddle, who has filed a $5 million tort claim against Blaine County, was later sent to the South Boise Women's Correction Center near Kuna on a conviction of possession of a controlled substance and was recently released on parole.

Her latest brush with the law stemmed from allegations that she illegally entered a house on Blue Lake Drive on Tuesday and another home on Buckhorn Drive on Thursday. It is alleged that she stole a bottle of Vicodin from one house and a bottle of prescription cough medicine from the other.

McNary said Biddle, who may have been homeless, apparently left a bundle of clothing that included her wallet at one of the homes.




 Local Weather 
Search archives:


Copyright © 2024 Express Publishing Inc.   Terms of Use   Privacy Policy
All Rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Express Publishing Inc. is prohibited. 

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.