MILTON, Fla. — A Santa Rosa County man has been sentenced to life in state prison after being found guilty of kidnapping, the State Attorney’s Office for the First Judicial Circuit announced.
Jeffrey Leon Holley was convicted on November 7, 2025, following a trial before Circuit Judge Edward P. Nickinson. Judge Nickinson ordered a mandatory life sentence after jurors determined the offense occurred within three years of Mr Holley’s release from state prison.
According to the State Attorney’s Office, the crime occurred throughout the night of April 26, 2024, and into the morning of April 27. Prosecutors said Mr Holley terrorized the victim with threats of bodily harm while binding her wrists and ankles with duct tape inside her home.
The victim attempted to escape but was dragged into her garage, where her wrists, ankles, and mouth were tightly wrapped with duct tape. Prosecutors said Mr Holley tied her arms and legs with rope and threatened to set her on fire if she screamed for help.
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Concerned neighbors contacted the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office after noticing unusual behavior at the residence. The victim was able to make enough noise for deputies to hear her. Deputies entered the home and found her restrained in the garage.
Mr Holley had fled moments before deputies arrived, but was later located hiding in the tree line on Spencer Field in Pace, the State Attorney’s Office said.
The investigation and arrest were conducted by the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant State Attorney Hayden Hudson prosecuted the case on behalf of State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden.
