Keith Elson Jr. is serving a life sentence for abducting a convenience store clerk in Cedar Rapids. The Iowa Court of Appeals has upheld his conviction.(The Gazette)

The Iowa Court of Appeals has upheld a Cedar Rapids man’s kidnapping conviction.

Keith Elson Jr. is serving a life sentence for abducting a convenience store clerk in Cedar Rapids.

Prosecutors said the 57-year-old Elson kidnapped a female clerk at knifepoint in May 2010. Elson held the woman at his apartment for about seven hours.

On appeal, Elson argued that he was too drunk to have formed intent for the crime, so he shouldn’t have been convicted of first-degree kidnapping.

The court says prosecutors provided ample evidence that showed Elson intended to sexually assault the woman when he abducted her. Elson had a knife and rope with him when he went to the store and waited until no customers were there before entering.