Convict sues his Kansas hostages for breach of contract

A convicted kidnapper has countersued the Kansas couple he held hostage while on the run in September 2009, accusing them of reneging on an "oral contract" to hide him in exchange for money, according to news reports out of Topeka.

Jesse Dimmick, of Aurora, Colo., blames Jared and Lindsay Rowley for his capture and being shot in the back by police in 2009. He wants $235,000 for breach of contract. In September, the Rowleys sued Dimmick for $75,000 for his home invasion and the resulting emotional distress, The Capital-Journal reports (via the Associated Press). The Rowleys were newlyweds at the time.

Dimmick, who was 23, was convicted in May 2010 and sentenced nearly 11 years in prison. He is now jailed in Colorado, where he is facing murder and other charges over the September 2009 slaying of a 25-year-old Denver-area man.

"As a result of the plaintiffs breech (sic) of contract, I, the defendant suffered a gunshot to my back, which almost killed me. The hospital bills alone are in excess of $160,000, which I have no way to pay," he wrote in longhand in the document, which was filed last month. Police said an officer's rifle accidentally discharged when Dimmick was apprehended after the Rowleys escaped while he dozed.

A Shawnee County judge is considering their motion to dismiss the suit.

Dimmick has also sued the city of Topeka and is seeking more than $75,000, including medical expenses. A pretrial hearing is set for Dec. 6, the Topeka paper says.

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