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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW (No heading) ... Water rates may rise 13 percent per year ... 'Pioneer Mike' gets a makeover in Iowa so he can return to Ashland Plaza ... (No heading) ... Water rates may rise 13 percent per year ... 'Pioneer Mike' gets a makeover in Iowa so he can return to Ashland Plaza ... CRIME Man convicted for kidnapping, witness tampering Victim stopped cooperating with DA's office A man in the Jackson County Jail used the identification numbers of other inmates to make phone calls to his wife in an effort to get her to change her testimony in a kidnapping and assault case against him. Comment By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 4, 2015 at 4:01 PM By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 4, 2015 at 4:01 PM » Social News A man in the Jackson County Jail used the identification numbers of other inmates to make phone calls to his wife in an effort to get her to change her testimony in a kidnapping and assault case against him. His wife eventually did stop cooperating with prosecutors, but the Jackson County District Attorney's Office continued forward with the case. On Friday, Trail resident Jesse Frank Bacon, 35, pleaded guilty to tampering with a witness, second-degree kidnapping, unlawful use of a weapon, fourth-degree assault and menacing. He was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison. Bacon was arrested on April 15 for threatening his wife with a knife and gun while they were driving in a Ford Expedition. She called 911 and he could be heard in the background threatening to stab her, according to court testimony. The wife asked Bacon to stop and let her out of the vehicle, but he refused, leading to the kidnapping charge. While being chased by a Jackson County Sheriff's Office deputy, Bacon turned into a Shady Cove school parking lot, then ran across the playground. He was caught in an open field. A loaded gun was found in the school parking lot near the vehicle, according to the deputy. Bacon had also punched his wife in the face, according to court testimony. After Bacon was jailed, he was banned from having any contact with his wife. However, he used the inmate identification numbers of two other jail inmates to make more than 20 phone calls to his wife, according to an affidavit. During the recorded phone calls, Bacon told his wife he was facing a long term in prison. He said she needed to go to a grand jury and change her story. He also said he was sorry for hurting her and would never do it again, the affidavit said. Defense attorney Donald Scales said Bacon had been using methamphetamine and was acting paranoid, aggressive and threatening toward his wife. He conceded the DA's office likely could have proven its case had it gone to trial even without testimony from the wife. "The 911 call would have been quite chilling to a jury," Scales said. Staff reporter Vickie Aldous can be reached at 541-776-4486 or [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter at w ww.twitter.com/VickieAldous . By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 4, 2015 at 4:01 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501