Columbia, TN domestic abuser acquitted of rape, convicted of other charges

Carl Gardner Boone, 43, a Columbia, TN man, was found guilty of aggravated assault and reckless endangerment August 28, but acquitted of rape in the beating of his estranged wife. Boone, scheduled to be sentenced September 25, faces 21 years in prison – 6 for the endangerment and 15 for the assault.

The Circuit Court trial began Tuesday in connection with the Aug. 12, 2007, attack of Boone’s wife at her residence on Rock Springs Road.“There is no debate about the attack,” prosecutor Lorraine Wade said during the trial.The victim testified that the attack began when Boone came to her home, knocked on a window and complained that he was thirsty and needed money.

When the victim returned to the door with money and a glass of water, Boone pushed open the door, she said.“The next thing I knew Carl was on top of me with his right hand on my throat and an excruciating pain coming from below my waist,” she said.The attack started on the front steps of her home, and the victim said when she regained consciousness, she was in a field between her and her neighbors’ houses.

Neighbors testified that they could not recognize the victim after the beating. Tina Gecowets testified “I saw a woman bleeding from her face, but I did not know who she was.” A doctor testified that she suffered a broken nose, facial fractures and sinus fractures.

Boone’s attorney argued the nature of the woman’s injuries did not indicate someone tried to kill her and the doctor at the hospital was not licensed to practice medicine.

Because Boone was acquitted of rape, he avoids Tennessee’s new, revamped sex offender registry, which requires e-mail addresses, all aliases, including married names, and IM (instant message) and chat names to be registered. Offenders against minors will be required to avoid work where they have unfettered access to minors, and avoid vehicles like ice cream trucks which attract minors.

Additional changes to the Sex Offender Registry will take effect January 1, 2009, when a physical description of the offender, text of the law describing the criminal offense and a criminal history of the offender will be added.

Kristin Helm, TBI (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) spokeswoman, stated that the tightened SO restrictions "will help local law enforcement keep track of sex offenders and their registry requirements, as well as keeping them away from places where they may have the opportunity to commit another offense."