Father Who Kidnapped Son With Sailboat Sentenced to Federal Prison
Paul Martikainen, the father who kidnapped his son during a supervised visit and was later captured at sea by officials with the U.S. Coast Guard, was sentenced to 2-and-a-half years in prison in Federal Court on Thursday. He looked pale and has grown a beard since he was captured and taken into Fort Myers in December of last year when arrested for kidnapping his 3-year-old son, Luke. The kidnapping happened during a father-son visit in Cocoa.
You may remember the tearful reunion between Christa Finch and Luke, after the U.S. Coast Guard discovered both father and son in a sailboat on international waters.
The judge told Martikainen that he too sails and would never bring a child on a sailboat in November, because it’s too dangerous. When asked if the punishment had fit the crime, Christa Finch said, “I’m not really sure. This is still fresh.” Finch said her ex-husband abused both her and her child. She pleaded to the judge to keep Martikainen locked up for a maximum of three years, fearing for their lives. When asked if she would voluntarily allow Martikainen to see her child again, she replied, “No, I would not,” adding that, “it’s pretty clear he can’t be trusted to be with him without leaving again.”
But Martikainen told the judge that he never laid a hand on his son or ex-wife. At one point, he turned to Finch, got down on his knee and pleaded to her to stop fighting for custody. He was warned by the bailiff to sit back down. “I was a little bit scared,” Finch said.
She said her son could have died because of Martikainen’s lack of boating experience. Martikainen apologized to the judge for breaking the law, but not for taking his son. He said it was the only chance he has had to bond with him.
In the end, the judge asked both Finch and Martikainen to develop a positive relationship after he is released for the sake of their little Luke. Martikainen will be transferred to a federal corrections facility in Coleman.
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS run for wants/warrants! I can’t stress that enough.