Topline: Authorities say the Iowa man and his co-defendant abducted his ex-girlfriend after she refused to drop domestic abuse charges.
Published: July 29, 2025 9:00 am ET
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Jordan Mangum, left, and Jessica Wheeler (via Polk County Jail)
DES MOINES, IA — A judge in Polk County sentenced 42-year-old Jordan Blake Mangum to up to 45 years in prison on Friday for the attempted murder and kidnapping of his former girlfriend, Luna Cox—a brutal assault that prosecutors say was motivated by her refusal to drop earlier domestic abuse charges.
Mangum, who entered an Alford plea in June, will be required to serve at least 22½ years before becoming eligible for parole.
The sentence follows a harrowing case in which Mangum and his co-defendant, Jessica Ann Marie Wheeler, 36, abducted Cox from her Des Moines home in the early hours of Dec. 2, 2023.
According to the Polk County Attorney’s Office, the pair bound Cox’s hands with duct tape, forced her into a minivan, and transported her to Mangum’s home in Indianola, where she was tied up.
From there, she was taken to an unknown location and subjected to further violence—strangled, run over multiple times, and had her throat slashed.
Court records indicate that just two weeks before the attack, Mangum had been arrested and charged with domestic abuse, second offense, for assaulting Cox. She later told authorities that the Dec. 2 incident was a calculated effort to intimidate her into dropping those charges—violence that escalated when she refused.
In her victim impact statement, Cox described the physical and emotional trauma she endured across more than a decade-long relationship, calling it a pattern of control masked as care, KOI-TV reported.
“The hardest part was realizing that what I endured was not love, but control masquerading as care,” she said. She asked the judge for the maximum sentence and spoke with resolve about her efforts to rebuild her life: “By engaging in therapy, reaching out to supportive people, and trusting my own intuition, I am focusing not just on safety, but also on building a life filled with genuine happiness… Speaking these words, I am not only asking for justice — I am reclaiming my voice.”
At sentencing, Mangum said he regretted the pain he had caused and struggled to articulate his remorse. “I fully and truly regret all that transpired,” he told the court.
But Polk County Assistant Attorney Shannon Bogolin challenged his sincerity, noting that “the one person who suffered the greatest wasn’t even mentioned” in his statement.
Judge Joseph Seidlin echoed that concern. “You kidnapped her, assaulted her, and tried to kill her,” he said in court. “Those are words that are readily available in our language to acknowledge your acts. What I did not hear is you taking responsibility for your actions.” The judge ultimately ordered Mangum’s sentences to run consecutively.
Mangum pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including attempted murder—carrying a mandatory minimum of 17½ years—as well as third-degree kidnapping, assault while participating in a felony (with a dangerous weapon enhancement), and domestic abuse impeding air or blood flow causing injury. Under questioning from his own attorneys, he admitted to participating in the kidnapping, using a knife in the assault, and rendering Cox unconscious with a half-nelson hold. He claimed that Wheeler was responsible for running over Cox and said she “wanted her to die.”
Wheeler pleaded guilty to attempted murder and third-degree kidnapping and was sentenced Thursday to up to 35 years in prison. Like Mangum, she must serve a mandatory minimum of 17½ years.
After the assault, Mangum dropped Cox off at Clarke County Hospital around 8 p.m. that same day. Though she survived, the attack left lasting physical and psychological scars. She remains in recovery.
Mangum and Wheeler are now serving prison terms for an act that the judge described as nothing short of an attempted execution.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Prosecutors: Woman Beaten, Run Over, and Left for Dead in Attack Meant to Keep Her Silent
Authorities say the Iowa man and his co-defendant abducted his ex-girlfriend after she refused to drop domestic abuse charges.
By Jacob Charles
Published: July 29, 2025 9:00 am ET
Jordan Mangum, left, and Jessica Wheeler (via Polk County Jail)
DES MOINES, IA — A judge in Polk County sentenced 42-year-old Jordan Blake Mangum to up to 45 years in prison on Friday for the attempted murder and kidnapping of his former girlfriend, Luna Cox—a brutal assault that prosecutors say was motivated by her refusal to drop earlier domestic abuse charges.
Mangum, who entered an Alford plea in June, will be required to serve at least 22½ years before becoming eligible for parole.
The sentence follows a harrowing case in which Mangum and his co-defendant, Jessica Ann Marie Wheeler, 36, abducted Cox from her Des Moines home in the early hours of Dec. 2, 2023.
According to the Polk County Attorney’s Office, the pair bound Cox’s hands with duct tape, forced her into a minivan, and transported her to Mangum’s home in Indianola, where she was tied up.
From there, she was taken to an unknown location and subjected to further violence—strangled, run over multiple times, and had her throat slashed.
Court records indicate that just two weeks before the attack, Mangum had been arrested and charged with domestic abuse, second offense, for assaulting Cox. She later told authorities that the Dec. 2 incident was a calculated effort to intimidate her into dropping those charges—violence that escalated when she refused.
In her victim impact statement, Cox described the physical and emotional trauma she endured across more than a decade-long relationship, calling it a pattern of control masked as care, KOI-TV reported.
“The hardest part was realizing that what I endured was not love, but control masquerading as care,” she said. She asked the judge for the maximum sentence and spoke with resolve about her efforts to rebuild her life: “By engaging in therapy, reaching out to supportive people, and trusting my own intuition, I am focusing not just on safety, but also on building a life filled with genuine happiness… Speaking these words, I am not only asking for justice — I am reclaiming my voice.”
At sentencing, Mangum said he regretted the pain he had caused and struggled to articulate his remorse. “I fully and truly regret all that transpired,” he told the court.
But Polk County Assistant Attorney Shannon Bogolin challenged his sincerity, noting that “the one person who suffered the greatest wasn’t even mentioned” in his statement.
Judge Joseph Seidlin echoed that concern. “You kidnapped her, assaulted her, and tried to kill her,” he said in court. “Those are words that are readily available in our language to acknowledge your acts. What I did not hear is you taking responsibility for your actions.” The judge ultimately ordered Mangum’s sentences to run consecutively.
Mangum pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including attempted murder—carrying a mandatory minimum of 17½ years—as well as third-degree kidnapping, assault while participating in a felony (with a dangerous weapon enhancement), and domestic abuse impeding air or blood flow causing injury. Under questioning from his own attorneys, he admitted to participating in the kidnapping, using a knife in the assault, and rendering Cox unconscious with a half-nelson hold. He claimed that Wheeler was responsible for running over Cox and said she “wanted her to die.”
Wheeler pleaded guilty to attempted murder and third-degree kidnapping and was sentenced Thursday to up to 35 years in prison. Like Mangum, she must serve a mandatory minimum of 17½ years.
After the assault, Mangum dropped Cox off at Clarke County Hospital around 8 p.m. that same day. Though she survived, the attack left lasting physical and psychological scars. She remains in recovery.
Mangum and Wheeler are now serving prison terms for an act that the judge described as nothing short of an attempted execution.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Prosecutors: Woman Beaten, Run Over, and Left for Dead in Attack Meant to Keep Her Silent
Authorities say the Iowa man and his co-defendant abducted his ex-girlfriend after she refused to drop domestic abuse charges.
By Jacob Charles
Published: July 29, 2025 9:00 am ET
Jordan Mangum, left, and Jessica Wheeler (via Polk County Jail)
DES MOINES, IA — A judge in Polk County sentenced 42-year-old Jordan Blake Mangum to up to 45 years in prison on Friday for the attempted murder and kidnapping of his former girlfriend, Luna Cox—a brutal assault that prosecutors say was motivated by her refusal to drop earlier domestic abuse charges.
Mangum, who entered an Alford plea in June, will be required to serve at least 22½ years before becoming eligible for parole.
The sentence follows a harrowing case in which Mangum and his co-defendant, Jessica Ann Marie Wheeler, 36, abducted Cox from her Des Moines home in the early hours of Dec. 2, 2023.
According to the Polk County Attorney’s Office, the pair bound Cox’s hands with duct tape, forced her into a minivan, and transported her to Mangum’s home in Indianola, where she was tied up.
From there, she was taken to an unknown location and subjected to further violence—strangled, run over multiple times, and had her throat slashed.
Court records indicate that just two weeks before the attack, Mangum had been arrested and charged with domestic abuse, second offense, for assaulting Cox. She later told authorities that the Dec. 2 incident was a calculated effort to intimidate her into dropping those charges—violence that escalated when she refused.
In her victim impact statement, Cox described the physical and emotional trauma she endured across more than a decade-long relationship, calling it a pattern of control masked as care, KOI-TV reported.
“The hardest part was realizing that what I endured was not love, but control masquerading as care,” she said. She asked the judge for the maximum sentence and spoke with resolve about her efforts to rebuild her life: “By engaging in therapy, reaching out to supportive people, and trusting my own intuition, I am focusing not just on safety, but also on building a life filled with genuine happiness… Speaking these words, I am not only asking for justice — I am reclaiming my voice.”
At sentencing, Mangum said he regretted the pain he had caused and struggled to articulate his remorse. “I fully and truly regret all that transpired,” he told the court.
But Polk County Assistant Attorney Shannon Bogolin challenged his sincerity, noting that “the one person who suffered the greatest wasn’t even mentioned” in his statement.
Judge Joseph Seidlin echoed that concern. “You kidnapped her, assaulted her, and tried to kill her,” he said in court. “Those are words that are readily available in our language to acknowledge your acts. What I did not hear is you taking responsibility for your actions.” The judge ultimately ordered Mangum’s sentences to run consecutively.
Mangum pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including attempted murder—carrying a mandatory minimum of 17½ years—as well as third-degree kidnapping, assault while participating in a felony (with a dangerous weapon enhancement), and domestic abuse impeding air or blood flow causing injury. Under questioning from his own attorneys, he admitted to participating in the kidnapping, using a knife in the assault, and rendering Cox unconscious with a half-nelson hold. He claimed that Wheeler was responsible for running over Cox and said she “wanted her to die.”
Wheeler pleaded guilty to attempted murder and third-degree kidnapping and was sentenced Thursday to up to 35 years in prison. Like Mangum, she must serve a mandatory minimum of 17½ years.
After the assault, Mangum dropped Cox off at Clarke County Hospital around 8 p.m. that same day. Though she survived, the attack left lasting physical and psychological scars. She remains in recovery.
Mangum and Wheeler are now serving prison terms for an act that the judge described as nothing short of an attempted execution.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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