Dad Who Kidnapped 2 Daughters Will Plead Guilty, Avoid Jail

BOSTON — A man accused of kidnapping his two young daughters 20 years ago and moving them to Florida will plead guilty today in an agreement that will spare him jail time, a newspaper said Thursday.

Stephen Fagan, who told the girls that their mother was dead and raised them under assumed names, will enter a guilty plea to kidnapping, the Boston Herald reported, citing sources it did not identify.

The Middlesex County district attorney’s spokesman, Anson Kaye, confirmed that the case is scheduled for a change of plea.

Fagan, 57, is accused of taking his two daughters from ex-wife Barbara Kurth in Massachusetts in 1979. Fagan claims he rescued the girls from an unfit and alcoholic mother, which Kurth denies.

His daughters, Rachael and Lisa Martin, who are now in their 20s, have steadfastly supported him since his arrest last year in Palm Beach.

Fagan is expected to receive probation and pay a fine, the newspaper said. He was charged with two counts of kidnapping, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Kurth’s brother said he was aware that discussions for a plea agreement were underway, but he did not know details.

Fagan’s attorney, Richard Egbert, did not immediately return messages.