Saturday, October 20, 2007

Man allegedly rapes, chokes ex-girlfriend

Joseph Blue, 27, is accused of assaulting, strangling, then raping his ex-girlfriend, according to reports by Oak Harbor, WA detective Teri Gardner and Officer Mike Clements. Prosecutors formally charged him with 1st degree rape, and 2nd degree assault by strangulation and sexual motivation in Island County Superior Court August 22, charges he plead not guilty to on September 4th.

According to the reports, Blue went to his ex-girlfriend's apartment, assaulted her for 13 hours, then strangled and raped her.

The victim complained of severe throat trauma. Gardner wrote that she documented the woman’s injuries, including “what appeared to be petechial hemorrhaging in both eyes,” redness and scratches on her neck, a swollen and purple eye, bruises and four bite marks on her body.

Blue claimed that the biting was part of their normal sexual activity, they had just broken up, and she was drunk, according to Officer Mike Clements.

The assault by strangulation charge was put in place because strangulation is the 3rd leading cause of domestic violence deaths in Washington, according to the Washington Attorney General's Office.

Blue faces 11 years, 4 months in prison assuming standard sentencing.

Reference:

Man faces rape, choking charges

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