Judge rejects plea agreement between victim and ex-"girlfriend"

A man whose potential maximum sentence went from 20 to 2 years had his plea agreement rejected by Allen County Superior Court Judge Fran Gull after his victim, his ex-girlfriend, said that the agreement prevented her from getting justice in the case. 31 year old Chad Reuille broke into his "girlfriend" K.P.'s Fort Wayne, IN home and allegedly raped her at knifepoint last July. Reuille was originally charged with rape, but pled guilty to residential entry and invasion of privacy.

Allen County Deputy Prosecutor Stacey Speith said that text messages suggested that the attack made it hard to convict on a charge of rape, but the victim said that the statement was taken out of context.

According to both Speith and [K.P.], at some point after the alleged July attack in her home, Parrish sent Reuille’s sister a text message. The message was in response to questioning about why she hadn’t reported Reuille for alleged abuse earlier.

To which [K.P.] responded that Reuille “never used a knife.” While prosecutors might have believed that statement could indicate to the jury that [K.P.] changed her story, [she] said the text was taken out of context. “I meant he’d never used a knife before,” she said.

The victim said that “I don’t think he should just be able to be out,” Parrish said during the hearing. “I’m scared. I don’t understand this offer.” Judge Gull will sentence Reuille at a later date, to give both the prosecution and defense a chance to make a new plea agreement.