Posted: Friday, May 22, 2009 3:38 pm

Marvin Maple, the man accused of kidnapping his two grandchildren 20 years ago, pled guilty to a lesser charge Friday afternoon.

Maple, 72, pled guilty to two class-E felonies of custodial interference after warrants for kidnapping were dismissed Friday morning.

Earlier this month, Maple's defense attorney, Greg Reed, filed a motion asking the kidnapping warrants be dismissed.

Reed asked for the dismissal because the warrant did not state probable cause, the court does not have jurisdiction and the allegations are duplicates because more than one offense is alleged to have been committed against more than one victim. Reed also asked the warrant be dismissed and Maple’s record erased.

Judge David Loughery agreed and dismissed the kidnapping charges. Maple then pled guilty to the lesser charges before Circuit Court Judge Don Ash.

Maple will be placed on four years probation, where he will report in to a probation officer. If he stays out of trouble during the time, the charges can be expunged from his record.

Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Bill Sharp said he supports the court’s ruling. “The DA did what he had to do,” Sharp said. “We hope there will be some resolution between the kids and the parent that the Baskins have been longing for,” he continued.

Maple, of San Jose, Calif., was charged Feb. 1 with kidnapping grandchildren Christie and Bobby Maple from parents Mark and Debbie Baskin in March 1989. Maple and his wife, Sandra, who has since died, were accused of taking the children and vanishing for almost 20 years. They were sighted in California and were sought on television shows.

Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com.