Woman charged in 2022 kidnapping-turned-killing sentenced to 8 years in prison

PORTAGE, Wis. -- A woman charged in a 2022 kidnapping-turned-killing that began in Madison and ended outside of Portage was sentenced Tuesday to eight years in prison.

Ja'Kenya Patty, 23, was arrested and charged in Columbia County with first-degree intentional homicide as a party to a crime, kidnapping as a party to a crime and hiding a corpse.

She pleaded no contest last year to the kidnapping and hiding a corpse charges. The homicide charge was dismissed but read in. On Tuesday, she was sentenced to seven years in prison for the kidnapping charge and one year in prison for the hiding a corpse charge, to be served consecutive to the kidnapping charge. Her prison sentence is set to be followed by 20 years of extended supervision.

Patty was one of three people who police said were involved in what was initially a kidnapping in Madison on June 14, 2022. Patty, along with 30-year-old Jesse Freiberg and 40-year-old Laura Johnson then allegedly drove the victim to the Portage area.

Once the victim got out of the car, Freiberg allegedly shot and killed him. Freiberg pleaded guilty in November 2023 to first-degree intentional homicide and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Johnson pleaded no contest last year to first-degree intentional homicide. She was set to be sentenced last month, however online court records show that a judge ordered a competency examination in the case. A competency hearing is set for May 22.

Patty, Freiberg and Johnson also face felony charges in Dane County related to the incident. Those cases remain open.

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