A father in the US exacted revenge on his daughter’s teenage boyfriend for selling her into a sex trafficking ring, police in Washington state have revealed.

Detectives reported that John Eisenman, 60, repeatedly stabbed 19-year-old Aaron Sorenson before packing his body inside a car and leaving it to rot for almost a year.

John Eisenman in court. Photo retrieved from Law & Crime.​

The abandoned car was discovered in Northeast Spokane, Washington, by witness Dane Massie. He and his friend decided to check out the vehicle to learn why his dogs kept running over to it.

“It smelled like death,” he told the local news station.

They traced the stench to a rotting body crammed in the trunk of the Honda Accord.

The body was identified as Andrew Sorenson, whom investigators believed was killed in November 2020.

It was believed that Eisenman discovered his young daughter had been sex trafficked into Seattle by 19-year-old Sorenson for US$1000 ($1345 AUD) in October 2020. Thankfully, the girl was rescued from the city and was brought back to Spokane by her father.

Police reports said, “In November 2020, Eisenman learned his daughter’s boyfriend was going to be at a location in Airway Heights, WA.”

“Eisenman waited for the victim and confronted the 19-year-old as he arrived.”

“During that encounter Eisenman abducted the victim, tying him up and placing him in the trunk of a vehicle. Eisenman subsequently assaulted the victim by hitting him in the head with a cinder block and then stabbed him repeatedly, causing his death.”

After the crime, Eisenman drove the car to a remote area in North Spokane County and fled, the body still inside the abandoned vehicle.

Police reported that a third party moved the car, not knowing there was a corpse in the trunk.

The body was found when people began searching through the vehicle.

Mr Eisenman was taken into custody on account of a first-degree murder charge on 29 October 2021 and subsequently confessed to his crime.

He has had no recent violent criminal history before his detention.

John Eisenman and daughter. Photo retrieved from International Business Times.​

A fundraising campaign on GiveSendGo was launched by Eisenman’s stepdaughter to help cover his legal bills.

“This father did the unthinkable for some of us to save his little girl from an unspeakable life that causes long term scars and years of emotional damage,” the campaign description states.

“He did what most of us as parents would do or think about doing in a situation like this. He does not belong in jail; prior to this, he had no violent offences.”

“Many are calling him a hero, and I, for one, agree; I would like to do all we can as a community to help him be a free man and have his day in court to defend his honour and the honour of his daughter.”


Is the father really in the wrong here? And if you were in the same situation, would you do the same for your kids?

 

[Vinylted]

Thankfully, never having been in that position, I cannot answer truthfully, but I fully sympathise with the father.

 

[Dot]

I am in two minds here, firstly a crime is a crime whichever way you look at it. Secondly, I believe that until anyone is in any given situation they could not know what their reaction would be. I totally sympathise with this parent and hope there is a good outcome.

 

[terri]

It is something that, as a parent, you would seriously consider. However, hopefully we live in a civilised society, and although at times the justice system lets us down, it would be wrong to take that justice into your own hands. Leniency could be applied but he does need to pay a penalty for taking the life of another person. That young man did the wrong thing, but he also would have a family that grieve him.

 

[Sunshine45]

Murder is never right. Once he had him tied up and in the car he should have driven straight to the nearest police station.

 

[Vinylted]

Murder is never right. Once he had him tied up and in the car he should have driven straight to the nearest police station.

Hmm thinking as a very forgiving parent, I just don't know how I'd react as I suspect most others wouldn't.

 

[Xe]

This is just the real life version of Taken

 

[Dot]

Murder is never right. Once he had him tied up and in the car he should have driven straight to the nearest police station.

I think you underestimate the emotions of the parent. There would be such indescribable feelings of hatred and disgust for this animal that all reasoning would be over ridden by thoughts of what happened to his daughter. Until we are in such a position it is not known how we would react.