A Shoreview, MN developer was sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday, April 20 and will be deported back to his native Bangladesh after being convicted of raping a woman and groping three other women. The sex assaults took place between January 2008 and September 2009. According to prosecutors at his trial, now 36 year old Maksud Mahbub would target women who were drunk at downtown Minneapolis bars during closing time and offer them "help" or rides, when they would be assaulted in his car or home.
The women testified that they passed out and woke up in Mahbub's home or car, unable to remember how they got there. The evidence against Mahbub included a shopping bag found in his closet with four pairs of women's underwear, including one belonging to a victim; a bra; and some women's jewelry. The victims also testified that Mahbub took or disabled their cellphones, in some cases by removing the batteries, so they could not call for help.
In one of the assaults, the victim testified that she had gone to a Minneapolis bar with a friend in September 2009 and had about five beers and six shots of liquor before ending up alone. She testified that the next thing she remembered was being in Mahbub's car. At his townhouse, she said, she fell asleep with her clothes on in his bedroom, but was nude when she woke up and he was on top of her. She said he raped her, even though she pushed him off twice.
Mahbub testified that he had never touched the woman. He also said that he had consensual sex with one of the women and kissed another, but denied touching the others. Mahbub testified at trial that he had only good intentions when he offered the inebriated women rides or took them to his townhome. He admitted only after aggressive questioning that he would have liked to have sex with the ones he groped "if they wanted to."
Investigators found three victims through taxi records after the first reported she was raped in September 2009. Another reported her assault after officials put out a public call for victims to come forward.
The charges that Mahbub was found guilty of and sentenced by Ramsey County District Judge Judith Tilsen were a single count of 3rd degree CSC and 3 counts of 4th degree CSC. A charge of 3rd degree sexual misconduct was dropped, and cases against six other women were not pursued or dropped due to lack of evidence. One of his victim wrote a letter to Judge Tilsen regarding her assault.
"I wanted to write this letter not only for myself but for the other women in this trial, and the countless others that may have been afraid to come forward. I thought, how could this happen to me? I am so much ... stronger than to let this happen." she said, before realizing that regardless of background, there is a difference between sex and rape. As for Mahbub's actions, the victim said, "that's what predators do."
Mahbub through his attorney Earl Gray, argued for a year in jail and SO treatment, stating that the immigration hold Mahbub has meant that he will be seperated from his brother, young daughter, and mother, who cried throught the proceedings. "I have been blessed with a loving family. I'm sorry to everyone because they had to endure such a hard time ... because of my conduct. I'll never be able to see my daughter, brother and mom ever again." said Mahbub.
Judge Tilsen said in response, "I'm not going to depart from (state sentencing) guidelines because it's going to be hard on your family," and Ella Friendt, a juror on the case, said "To me, it was a gut-wrenching case. It was very hard being a mother, to see what his mother was going through. But I also have a daughter ... and he was a predator."
Showing posts with label MN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MN. Show all posts
Friday, April 22, 2011
Saturday, April 2, 2011
St. Paul, MN man pleads guilty to forcing disabled woman to perform oral sex on city bus
A 22 year old Twin Cities man pled guilty Wednesday, March 30 to coercing a young woman with Down's Syndrome to perform oral sex on a bus last winter. Herbert Lee House, 22, of St. Paul, will be sentenced to between 5 and 5 1/2 years in prison on May 18 for a single count of 3rd degree CSC by Ramsey County District Judge Margaret Marrinan on May 18.
The charges said House was on a Route 64 bus in St. Paul about 10:30 a.m. Feb. 22 when the victim, a 19-year-old woman, got on board with a group of other vulnerable adults and their caretaker. Two teenage boys told police that the woman sat next to House, then they saw the two switch places. They saw the woman's head "bobbing up and down in the man's lap," the criminal complaint said.
Prosecutor Karrin Long got House to admit that the woman he victimized was developmentally disabled. "You know now that [the victim] is very slow and very dependent on other people?" Long asked. "Yes," House said. The sex offense was also a violation of probation for other charges. House had a criminal history involving theft, drugs, and assaults.
The charges said House was on a Route 64 bus in St. Paul about 10:30 a.m. Feb. 22 when the victim, a 19-year-old woman, got on board with a group of other vulnerable adults and their caretaker. Two teenage boys told police that the woman sat next to House, then they saw the two switch places. They saw the woman's head "bobbing up and down in the man's lap," the criminal complaint said.
Prosecutor Karrin Long got House to admit that the woman he victimized was developmentally disabled. "You know now that [the victim] is very slow and very dependent on other people?" Long asked. "Yes," House said. The sex offense was also a violation of probation for other charges. House had a criminal history involving theft, drugs, and assaults.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
St. Paul weight trainer accused of sexual misconduct with 16 year old - stipulated facts trial leads to probation
(Original Post 12-4-09)
A 25 year old weight room supervisor at Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul, MN was charged with two counts of 3rd degree criminal sexual conduct for a sexual relationship with one of her 16 year old students which took place back in 2008. Gail E. Gagne is alleged to have engaged in sexual contact with the 16 year old several times, including at her Bloomington, MN home and at a hotel near the Mall Of America.
Hotel records and Gagne's credit card receipts show that on Sept. 13-14 of that year, she spent the night at LaQuinta Hotel on Nicollet Avenue south in Bloomington, the complaint said.
The principal at the private Catholic school told police that Gagne was hired in November 2007 as an assistant basketball coach. From January through September 2008, she was a substitute teacher. In the summer of 2008, she worked in the weight room, and in late September 2008, she was hired as a full-time teacher, the complaint said.
Gagne is not in custody because she is believed to be in Chicagoland. Hennepin County District Judge Ron Abrams issued an arrest warrant Tuesday, December 1. Her attorney, Earl Grey, said his client will plead not guilty. Third degree CSC is a 15 year felony in Minnesota.
(Update 12-13-09) Gagne turned herself in at the Hennepin county Jail 3:30 Thursday, December 10, but made her $50,000 bond four hours later, according to jail records. She appeared for her preliminary hearing before District Court Judge Thomas Sipkins Friday, December 11, where she was ordered to stay away from the alleged victim.
Under the agreement, prosecutor Judith Hawley will prepare a statement of the facts in the case and she, Gail Gagne and Gagne's attorney, Earl Gray, will sign it and submit it to Judge Richard Scherer on Wednesday. A sentencing hearing is set for March 28 if she's convicted.
According to Professor Joseph Daly of Hamline University Law School, such a legal arrangement meant it was a near certainty that Gagne would be convicted during the bench trial.
(Update 3-29-11) Yesterday, Gagne was sentenced to a year in jail, suspended, and two years probation by Hennepin County District Judge Richard Scherer. Gagne did not speak, but her victim's mother did. The mother said that she had hoped to send her son to Cretin-Derham to "provide a safe, loving environment," but that Gagne had betrayed her trust and damaged her family's lives. "His family is left holding the dirty laundry of the defendant's unprofessional, self-serving actions."
After the hearing, both sides used the words "reasonable" and "appropriate" to describe the outcome. Then again, they had both agreed to what it would be last month when they filed a "stipulation" with the court laying out what the facts were.
"I thought it was a reasonable disposition of the case," defense lawyer Earl Gray said afterward. "Although I thought I could win it, you can also lose."
"I think we had an appropriate resolution to a very unhappy situation," said Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman. He said he believed the verdict and sentence would send a message to teachers, coaches and others with authority over youths that having sex with students has strong consequences. "Society doesn't permit it, and morality doesn't permit it," Freeman said.
Gagne has moved to California.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Predatory massage therapist sentenced to 11 years in prison
In 2008, three women reported to Apple Valley police that Valencour had touched their breasts and genitals and put his genitals in their hands during massages, according to a criminal complaint. Police located three more victims through the business's owner.
The owner, who hired Valencour, base the hiring on the recommendation of a massage school she trusted. The misplaced trust cost her her business and those women their dignity.
Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom, the prosecutor, said, "We're pleased with the lengthy prison term that was handed down today in this case. These types of crimes are extremely traumatic to the victims, whose privacy is directly invaded in a very disturbing way." Backstrom said the 11 years for the 4th degree CSC counts were the maximum prison sentence that could be handed down.
Friday, January 7, 2011
DNA database hit leads to Minneapolis rape suspect, two trials, acquittal
(Original Post 5-9-08)
A Brooklyn Park man was arrested after a DNA hit linked him to the kidnapping and rape of a woman from a Minneapolis nightclub last summer. Duncan Nyanaro Osoro, 24, has been charged with 1st degree criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday.
The woman told police she was at the Karma nightclub on August 26, 2007 in Minneapolis when a friend became sick and threw up after only two drinks at a nightclub. This friend had never became sick after drinking before.
Between 2 & 10 AM, the victim was unconscious in a grassy area near I-94. When she came to, blood was on her white shirt, hands and knees, and a subsequent sexual assault exam at the Hennepin County Medical Center revealed the rape. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s DNA database matched osoro to the evidence at the scene.
(1-7-11 Acquittal) After two trials, Osoro was acquitted of kidnapping and rape charges against him. The final acquittal came December 23 after a three week trial and an hour of deliberation. Osoro was held in jail for 16 months, according to his attorney, Joseph Fru, who suspects race played a role. Despite the acquittal, Hennipin County Prosecutor Mike Freeman maintained the peosecution was just. "The jury made its decision, we believe in the system, and we accept the decision. We're moving forward."
A Brooklyn Park man was arrested after a DNA hit linked him to the kidnapping and rape of a woman from a Minneapolis nightclub last summer. Duncan Nyanaro Osoro, 24, has been charged with 1st degree criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday.
The woman told police she was at the Karma nightclub on August 26, 2007 in Minneapolis when a friend became sick and threw up after only two drinks at a nightclub. This friend had never became sick after drinking before.
Between 2 & 10 AM, the victim was unconscious in a grassy area near I-94. When she came to, blood was on her white shirt, hands and knees, and a subsequent sexual assault exam at the Hennepin County Medical Center revealed the rape. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s DNA database matched osoro to the evidence at the scene.
(1-7-11 Acquittal) After two trials, Osoro was acquitted of kidnapping and rape charges against him. The final acquittal came December 23 after a three week trial and an hour of deliberation. Osoro was held in jail for 16 months, according to his attorney, Joseph Fru, who suspects race played a role. Despite the acquittal, Hennipin County Prosecutor Mike Freeman maintained the peosecution was just. "The jury made its decision, we believe in the system, and we accept the decision. We're moving forward."
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Woman who allegedly staged shotgun murder of husband charged
A Minnesota woman who claimed that intruders killed her husband was charged with 2nd degree murder in Blue Earth County, MN on September 10. 26 year old James Nibbe was found shot to death early the morning of August 31 in his Lake Crystal, MN home. Jennifer claimed a masked intruder took James' shotgun, killed him, then fled on foot. Police poked holes in the story after learning that there were no footprints out of the house and that the Labrador the couple owned had stayed asleep during the killing.
Charges cite journal entries by Jennifer Nibbe that chronicle her dissatisfaction with her two-year marriage, her interest in another man and how "Sometimes I wish I could go back to just [my son, who is 17] and I plugging along."
The complaint describes Jennifer Nibbe, a nurse, as addicted to painkillers and deeply in debt. Just two months before he was killed with a single shotgun blast to the head, James Nibbe, 26, had taken out a $250,000 life insurance policy, naming his wife as the beneficiary.
On September 13, a judge set bail at $600,000 in front of a courtroom packed with both the suspect and the victim's family.
Charges cite journal entries by Jennifer Nibbe that chronicle her dissatisfaction with her two-year marriage, her interest in another man and how "Sometimes I wish I could go back to just [my son, who is 17] and I plugging along."
The complaint describes Jennifer Nibbe, a nurse, as addicted to painkillers and deeply in debt. Just two months before he was killed with a single shotgun blast to the head, James Nibbe, 26, had taken out a $250,000 life insurance policy, naming his wife as the beneficiary.
On September 13, a judge set bail at $600,000 in front of a courtroom packed with both the suspect and the victim's family.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Man forces wife and her "lover" to have sex after catching her cheating - both plead guilty
(Original Post 12-24-09)
A man whose wife cheated on him with another man allegedly forced the "lover" and his wife to have sex with each other in their Minnesota home. 52 year old Kevin Robert Thomas was charged in Cook County, MN court with kidnapping, second-degree assault, terroristic threats, false imprisonment, domestic assault and second-degree criminal sexual conduct. His wife, Susan Ann Thompson, 40, is charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping and false imprisonment.
According to the criminal complaint filed against Susan Thompson, the alleged victim believed that her husband had discovered the affair. When he turned down her invitation to her home on May 15, she became angry and threatened to tell her husband that the alleged victim had been bothering her. She said her husband would harm him by “peeling off his face or killing him,” the complaint alleges.
Susan Thompson is accused of calling the alleged victim several times on May 15 and demanding that he come to their house. He eventually acquiesced. When he arrived at the house, the woman invited him downstairs. The man told Cook County sheriff’s deputies that the woman told him: “You look hot. Take off your shirt and take something else off.” He was wearing only a T-shirt and his underwear when Kevin Thompson arrived home. Kevin Thompson came downstairs holding a crowbar and a hammer.
[Defense Attorney Richard] Holmstrom said his client came home and saw another vehicle in his driveway and didn’t know if someone might be burglarizing his house. He said Kevin Thompson put a handgun in his belt for his own protection, went downstairs and found his wife and the alleged victim engaged in sexual activity.
Susan Thompson was charged because she willingly accepted a sex toy and did not express surprise or concern about the events, but the victim did, especially after Kevin struggled with him and tied him up with plastic ties and duct tape. According to the complaint, Kevin uttered threats to the "lover" during the standoff, saying “We start with losing a digit here and there...I could turn that on and put your face in it [the electric oven.]...I want to ruin you financially. I don’t need your money. I’ve got five million in the bank.”
Richard Holmstrom, who represents Kevin, said that “The best way to sum this case up is if the prosecution wants to call [the alleged victim] a victim, the only thing he is a victim of is his own lust and his own illicit lust,” Holmstrom said. “He got caught in the act, and now they are trying to make it out that Kevin Thompson is some kind of a criminal here — and he’s just not.
"He came home and he’s presented with a situation where his wife is engaged in sexual activity with another man,” Holmstrom said. “He got mad, things happened during that night, but [the alleged victim] was not injured in any way physically. He was allowed to leave. … It’s our position that he committed no crime.”
Law enforcement alleges that they “found digital material on the Thompson’s computers and cell phones indicating that both husband and wife regularly search for ‘swinger’ relationships on the Internet … and have engaged in sexual relationships with multiple partners.”
[Susan Thompson's attorney Chris]Stocke describes Susan Thompson as “a very pretty woman, genteel, honest, well-spoken, professional.” He said she did volunteer work and had worked as a substitute teacher.
“That’s just speculation by police,” Holmstrom said. “They seized every computer they could get their hands on in the house. At least one of those computers had been used in Mr. Thompson’s business in the Chicago area.”
The Thompsons are the parents of an 11 year old boy, the only real victim, regardless of the outcome of this case.
(Update 5-14-10) Guilty Plea
The Thompsons plead guilty in Minnesota's Cook County District Court to kidnapping, false imprisonment, and criminal sexual conduct. Kevin Thompson also plead to second-degree assault and terroristic threats. Both appeared separately under 6th Judicial District Judge Kenneth Sandvik Tuesday, May 11.
Both testified that Kevin Thompson had learned of Susan's affair with another man about a week earlier, and that Kevin Thompson asked Susan to lure the victim to their residence. Susan Thompson, under questioning by her attorney, Christopher Stocke of Duluth, said she was no longer claiming that her husband forced her to take part in the scheme.
"He asked you to get (the victim) to come to your residence?" Stocke asked. "Yes," Susan Thompson said. "To really scare him?" "Yes." "Maybe threaten him?" "Yes."
Kevin Thompson, under questioning from his attorney, Richard Holmstrom of Duluth, testified that he surprised the victim in the basement of their home that night, that the two men struggled, and that Thompson overpowered the victim.
"You forced him to stay in the home for the next, I would imagine, six to eight hours?" Holmstrom asked. "Yes," Kevin Thompson said. "You don't have any doubt that he was terrorized?" "That's correct." Thompson also testified that he displayed a firearm, and that he forced the victim to have sexual contact with his wife.
According to the plea agreement, Kevin will serve 2 years at the Northeast Regional Correction Center, another year under house arrest and 10 years probation. He'll be ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution and a $20,000 fine, undergo psychosexual evaluation and register as a sex offender. Susan will not have to register as a sex offender or spend time in prison, but will have to under a year or two of electronic monitoring, pay $10,000 fine, and otherwise abide by the same stipulations as her husband.
Cook County Attorney Timothy Scannell reached a plea agreement with both Thompsons separately. The lack of jail time for the wife was so their son, described as a straight A student by her attorney Chris Stocke, could be raised by at least one biological parent. "The main reason my client agreed to this is that (their child) would be able to be taken care of. If both of them were going to be incarcerated, this case would have gone to trial."
Scanell said that the involvement of the child factored into the prosecution's decision to plea. "I think that the impact of the child influenced their decision and the state's decision as well. I think it's an appropriate resolution, and I'm pleased that we're finally done with this case." Formal sentencing will be July 7.
(Update 7-11-10) As promised, the Thompsons were sentenced as indicated in their plea agreement Wednesday, July 7. The victim was present in their courtroom, and said in a statement, “The Thompsons are scurrilous individuals who show no shame, no remorse and no regret. It’s time for the Thompsons to realize that the gig is up.”
Judge Sandvik said that “You’re not here because you engaged in an alternative sexual lifestyle. You’re here because you engaged in violence and threats of violence … and they were sexual in nature.”
Kevin was ordered taken into custody immediately, while Susan was ordered under house arrest, which includes no guests without permission of her probation officer. Both Thompsons were ordered to enter sex offender treatment programs and pay restitution and court costs totaling $50,000.
A man whose wife cheated on him with another man allegedly forced the "lover" and his wife to have sex with each other in their Minnesota home. 52 year old Kevin Robert Thomas was charged in Cook County, MN court with kidnapping, second-degree assault, terroristic threats, false imprisonment, domestic assault and second-degree criminal sexual conduct. His wife, Susan Ann Thompson, 40, is charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping and false imprisonment.
According to the criminal complaint filed against Susan Thompson, the alleged victim believed that her husband had discovered the affair. When he turned down her invitation to her home on May 15, she became angry and threatened to tell her husband that the alleged victim had been bothering her. She said her husband would harm him by “peeling off his face or killing him,” the complaint alleges.
Susan Thompson is accused of calling the alleged victim several times on May 15 and demanding that he come to their house. He eventually acquiesced. When he arrived at the house, the woman invited him downstairs. The man told Cook County sheriff’s deputies that the woman told him: “You look hot. Take off your shirt and take something else off.” He was wearing only a T-shirt and his underwear when Kevin Thompson arrived home. Kevin Thompson came downstairs holding a crowbar and a hammer.
[Defense Attorney Richard] Holmstrom said his client came home and saw another vehicle in his driveway and didn’t know if someone might be burglarizing his house. He said Kevin Thompson put a handgun in his belt for his own protection, went downstairs and found his wife and the alleged victim engaged in sexual activity.
Susan Thompson was charged because she willingly accepted a sex toy and did not express surprise or concern about the events, but the victim did, especially after Kevin struggled with him and tied him up with plastic ties and duct tape. According to the complaint, Kevin uttered threats to the "lover" during the standoff, saying “We start with losing a digit here and there...I could turn that on and put your face in it [the electric oven.]...I want to ruin you financially. I don’t need your money. I’ve got five million in the bank.”
Richard Holmstrom, who represents Kevin, said that “The best way to sum this case up is if the prosecution wants to call [the alleged victim] a victim, the only thing he is a victim of is his own lust and his own illicit lust,” Holmstrom said. “He got caught in the act, and now they are trying to make it out that Kevin Thompson is some kind of a criminal here — and he’s just not.
"He came home and he’s presented with a situation where his wife is engaged in sexual activity with another man,” Holmstrom said. “He got mad, things happened during that night, but [the alleged victim] was not injured in any way physically. He was allowed to leave. … It’s our position that he committed no crime.”
Law enforcement alleges that they “found digital material on the Thompson’s computers and cell phones indicating that both husband and wife regularly search for ‘swinger’ relationships on the Internet … and have engaged in sexual relationships with multiple partners.”
[Susan Thompson's attorney Chris]Stocke describes Susan Thompson as “a very pretty woman, genteel, honest, well-spoken, professional.” He said she did volunteer work and had worked as a substitute teacher.
“That’s just speculation by police,” Holmstrom said. “They seized every computer they could get their hands on in the house. At least one of those computers had been used in Mr. Thompson’s business in the Chicago area.”
The Thompsons are the parents of an 11 year old boy, the only real victim, regardless of the outcome of this case.
(Update 5-14-10) Guilty Plea
The Thompsons plead guilty in Minnesota's Cook County District Court to kidnapping, false imprisonment, and criminal sexual conduct. Kevin Thompson also plead to second-degree assault and terroristic threats. Both appeared separately under 6th Judicial District Judge Kenneth Sandvik Tuesday, May 11.
Both testified that Kevin Thompson had learned of Susan's affair with another man about a week earlier, and that Kevin Thompson asked Susan to lure the victim to their residence. Susan Thompson, under questioning by her attorney, Christopher Stocke of Duluth, said she was no longer claiming that her husband forced her to take part in the scheme.
"He asked you to get (the victim) to come to your residence?" Stocke asked. "Yes," Susan Thompson said. "To really scare him?" "Yes." "Maybe threaten him?" "Yes."
Kevin Thompson, under questioning from his attorney, Richard Holmstrom of Duluth, testified that he surprised the victim in the basement of their home that night, that the two men struggled, and that Thompson overpowered the victim.
"You forced him to stay in the home for the next, I would imagine, six to eight hours?" Holmstrom asked. "Yes," Kevin Thompson said. "You don't have any doubt that he was terrorized?" "That's correct." Thompson also testified that he displayed a firearm, and that he forced the victim to have sexual contact with his wife.
According to the plea agreement, Kevin will serve 2 years at the Northeast Regional Correction Center, another year under house arrest and 10 years probation. He'll be ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution and a $20,000 fine, undergo psychosexual evaluation and register as a sex offender. Susan will not have to register as a sex offender or spend time in prison, but will have to under a year or two of electronic monitoring, pay $10,000 fine, and otherwise abide by the same stipulations as her husband.
Cook County Attorney Timothy Scannell reached a plea agreement with both Thompsons separately. The lack of jail time for the wife was so their son, described as a straight A student by her attorney Chris Stocke, could be raised by at least one biological parent. "The main reason my client agreed to this is that (their child) would be able to be taken care of. If both of them were going to be incarcerated, this case would have gone to trial."
Scanell said that the involvement of the child factored into the prosecution's decision to plea. "I think that the impact of the child influenced their decision and the state's decision as well. I think it's an appropriate resolution, and I'm pleased that we're finally done with this case." Formal sentencing will be July 7.
(Update 7-11-10) As promised, the Thompsons were sentenced as indicated in their plea agreement Wednesday, July 7. The victim was present in their courtroom, and said in a statement, “The Thompsons are scurrilous individuals who show no shame, no remorse and no regret. It’s time for the Thompsons to realize that the gig is up.”
Judge Sandvik said that “You’re not here because you engaged in an alternative sexual lifestyle. You’re here because you engaged in violence and threats of violence … and they were sexual in nature.”
Kevin was ordered taken into custody immediately, while Susan was ordered under house arrest, which includes no guests without permission of her probation officer. Both Thompsons were ordered to enter sex offender treatment programs and pay restitution and court costs totaling $50,000.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Van driver pleads guilty to groping developmentally disabled passenger
A 67 year old van driver plead guilty to 4th degree criminal sexual conduct for groping a disabled woman with an IQ of 49 on February 23, 2009. Minnesota City, MN resident David Michael Taylor plead guilty to the 4th degree count Wednesday, June 23.
At the time of the incident, Taylor was a driver for Winona ORC Industries, a company that provides job opportunities to disabled area residents. ORC officials fired Taylor after an internal investigation. He admitted Wednesday that he kissed the woman and groped her breast. The woman told police she twice asked Taylor to stop.
Taylor admitted that he had sexual contact with the woman, but claimed that it was consensual, and admitted to police he “knew that (the victim) wasn’t all quite there.” His counsel, J.P. Plachecki, said the victim considered Taylor to be her "boyfriend." Taylor called the conduct with the victim "a little tryst" at his plea hearing.
Judge Mary Leahy will sentence Taylor later this summer, but before September 15. He'll be required to register with the state of Minnesota as a predatory offender.
At the time of the incident, Taylor was a driver for Winona ORC Industries, a company that provides job opportunities to disabled area residents. ORC officials fired Taylor after an internal investigation. He admitted Wednesday that he kissed the woman and groped her breast. The woman told police she twice asked Taylor to stop.
Taylor admitted that he had sexual contact with the woman, but claimed that it was consensual, and admitted to police he “knew that (the victim) wasn’t all quite there.” His counsel, J.P. Plachecki, said the victim considered Taylor to be her "boyfriend." Taylor called the conduct with the victim "a little tryst" at his plea hearing.
Judge Mary Leahy will sentence Taylor later this summer, but before September 15. He'll be required to register with the state of Minnesota as a predatory offender.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Female teacher caught with 16 year old student sentenced to 5 months jail, decade of probation
Melissa Diana Koehn, a 30 year old teacher, was charged with 4th degree criminal sexual conduct by the Dakota County Attorney's Office Tuesday. The West St. Paul St. Croix Lutheran High School social studies teacher was booked Sunday and charged Tuesday with 3 counts of CSC. Koehn was released on $10,000 bail after undergoing a hearing under Judge Mary Theisen.
Under Minnesota law, a person as young as 16 is old enough to consent to a sexual relationship. The law, however, prohibits a teacher, coach or person in a position of authority over a young person to have sexual contact with someone age 16 or 17.
This is the sixth time in 10 years that a teacher or coach in Dakota County has been charged with criminal sexual contact involving a student, said Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom.
An Apple Valley police officer investigating a suspicious vehicle on December 20 found Koehn and the victim kissing. The teenage girl was still wearing her school jacket, and the officer turned the teen over to her parents while a detective investigated the case.
Koehn taught and coached the girl during the 2007-8 school year, and stayed in the girl's bedroom after taking a leave of absence from the school for professional development. The victim and Koehn began going to movies and shopping, with the parents of the victim letting the woman slep over at their daughter's room on occasion. Koehn's permanent address is in Kenosha, WI.
Koehn acknowledged taking part in some sexual encounters in that bedroom. The AOC in Minnesota is 16, but increases to 18 when a teacher, coach or other person in a position of authority has a relationship with a teen.
She also acknowledged she still "exercised some authority" over the student, according to charges. When interviewed by police, the student referred to her as "Ms. Koehn."
This is the sixth time in 10 years that a teacher or coach in Dakota County has been charged with criminal sexual contact involving a student, said Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom.
Koehn made her initial court appearance [December 23] morning before Judge Mary Theisen, who set bail at $50,000 or $10,000 with conditions. Koehn's next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 9 in Hastings.
Gene Pfeifer, president of St. Croix Lutheran, said that Koehn taught 10th and 11th grade social studies and coached girls junior varsity basketball for the past 7 years. He also said that the did not know about the sexual misconduct, and that "We don't condone any type of activity like this on the part of any employee or past employee of the school. We are cooperating with the authorities in their investigation."
(Update 11-21-09) After a two day trial and 3 1/2 hours of deliberation, a Dakota County jury has found Koehn guilty of three counts of 4th degree criminal sexual conduct. The jury found that the victim's vulnerability was an aggravating factor, meaning that Koehn faces prison instead of the guideline sentence maximum of a year in jail. The guilty verdict happened Friday, November 20.
Under Minnesota law, sexual contact with a 16- or 17-year-old is a felony if the perpetrator is at least four years older and in a position of authority over a teen. Koehn, who began an unofficial mentoring relationship with the girl her sophomore year, had previously coached her in basketball, and the teen referred to her as "Ms. Koehn" from the witness stand.
Koehn's trial opened Wednesday with prosecutors asking the teen whether she had sexual contact with Koehn, her former history teacher. The student, now 18, denied that anything sexual had occurred, and then, when pressed, said she couldn't remember.
Assistant Dakota County Attorney Larry Clark played audiotapes which belied the victim's testimony, but Koehn's defense attorney Richard Ohlenberg said the encounters, which took place during a leave of absence by Koehn, were not a manipulation of a position of trust and that they were limited to kissing and social contact.
Dakota County District Court Judge Robert King will formally sentence Koehn on February 5.
(Update 2-6-10) Koehn was formally sentenced to 5 months in jail and 10 years probation by Judge Robert King Jr yesterday. Minnesota sentencing guidelines call for no jail time, but Judge King cited the multiple sex acts in the girl's bedroom and the victim's emotional vulerability in the jail sentence. King also said that he did not believe Koehn set out to intentionally groom her victim. "I think you are a very conflicted person. I think you just fell into temptation." King also imposed a 3 year suspended sentence and a $200 fine.
Friday, Koehn told the judge that she knew she had done wrong. She also told the girl's mother that she had waited a year to apologize. "I never meant to hurt you or your family," Koehn said, adding that she felt "horribly."
"It may be sincere," prosecutor Lawrence Clark said of the apology, "but it's too little and it's too late."
Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said that “It is always troubling to see incidents of this nature. While a person who is 16 years old can generally consent to a sexual relationship under Minnesota law, it is against the law regardless of consent for a teacher or a coach to have sexual contact with a 16-17-year old student over whom they have a position of authority.”
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Woman gets 6 3/4 years in prison for stabbing mother of 5 in love triangle
Whitney Kizart was sentenced to 6 years and 9 months in prison for 2nd degree manslaughter in the death of her "lover's" wife, the mother of 5 kids ranging from 2 to 10. Kizart, 22, from St. Paul, MN, plead guilty in Ramsey County District Court July 2 to stabbing to death 26 year old Jennifer Linnear around 1:15 AM on March 5.
According to police reports, the victim and her husband, Robert Linnear, went to Kizart's St. Paul apartment to confront Kizart about a STD which she infected Bob with. Bob passed the STD on to Jennifer. The victim, got out of the car and started yelling at Kizart before being fatally stabbed by the perpetrator.
Shon Cannon read the victim impact statement before sentencing.
I had the honor and pleasure of loving my cousin for 26 years but her children will not. ... Their mother was not taken from them due to an ailment, accident or surgery that went wrong, but by murder.
Jennifer did not live a life that was flawless or of luxury, but she would give a family member or stranger whatever she had, and most importantly her children. Her children were the center of her joy and her reason for trying to improve in life.
District Judge James H. Clark also fined Kizart $1000 and ordered restitution.
According to police reports, the victim and her husband, Robert Linnear, went to Kizart's St. Paul apartment to confront Kizart about a STD which she infected Bob with. Bob passed the STD on to Jennifer. The victim, got out of the car and started yelling at Kizart before being fatally stabbed by the perpetrator.
Shon Cannon read the victim impact statement before sentencing.
I had the honor and pleasure of loving my cousin for 26 years but her children will not. ... Their mother was not taken from them due to an ailment, accident or surgery that went wrong, but by murder.
Jennifer did not live a life that was flawless or of luxury, but she would give a family member or stranger whatever she had, and most importantly her children. Her children were the center of her joy and her reason for trying to improve in life.
District Judge James H. Clark also fined Kizart $1000 and ordered restitution.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Man gets 23 years for slashing wife
Donovan D. Brown, of St. Paul, MN, was sentenced to 23 years Wednesday, April 29, for slashing his estranged and soon to be ex-wife and baby’s mama, Shanda S. Robinson, in the face and on her cheeks last summer. Only the brave actions of the victim’s mother prevented her daughter from being killed.
Ramsey County District Judge Margaret Marrinan sentenced Brown for 20 years, the maximum sentence, for attempted murder. Judge Marrinan also sentenced Brown for 4 counts of terroristic threats against Robinson and the couple’s three kids, and additional counts of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree assault.
"We are here on attempted murder [rather than murder] only because your wife's mother had the presence of mind to batter down that door, get to her daughter and apply pressure to those wounds," the judge said.
Prosecutor Janice Barker summed up the case during her closing argument: A court order prohibited Brown from living at Robinson's apartment in the 300 block of Birmingham Avenue on St. Paul's East Side after he was charged with whipping her middle child with a belt.
He grew tired and frustrated with living out of his car and returned to the apartment Aug. 2 "to claim what he believed he was entitled to," Barker told the jury. Robinson awoke from a nap when she heard Brown rifling through her kitchen drawers. That's apparently where he grabbed a large box cutter. She tried to avoid an argument by leaving to run an errand, but Brown was still there when she got back. Again, she tried to ignore him.
Robinson didn't know he had a box cutter until he raised his hand and brought it down on her cheek. He continued slashing and, "She thought she was going to die in front of her children," Barker said.
Brown fled, crashing through a window. He called 911 and told a dispatcher that Robinson had tried to cut him and "I had to defend myself."
Robinson cried in her mother’s arms as Barker read her victim impact statement. The statement said in part, "[The attack] has changed my life forever ... I have to worry what people will think when they look at my scars. The kids will always know who did this to me."
Brown attempted to explain his actions that August night before sentencing. "At the time, it was like she was taking everything from me. I'm not blaming her in the least. I wish I could take back my actions. I'm just sorry for what I did… My wife IS a wonderful woman. My kids are wonderful."
After the sentencing, Barker said about the victim, "She is an amazing woman. She has developed into a wonderful mother. She works to support her children and did everything to keep them safe.”
Ramsey County District Judge Margaret Marrinan sentenced Brown for 20 years, the maximum sentence, for attempted murder. Judge Marrinan also sentenced Brown for 4 counts of terroristic threats against Robinson and the couple’s three kids, and additional counts of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree assault.
"We are here on attempted murder [rather than murder] only because your wife's mother had the presence of mind to batter down that door, get to her daughter and apply pressure to those wounds," the judge said.
Prosecutor Janice Barker summed up the case during her closing argument: A court order prohibited Brown from living at Robinson's apartment in the 300 block of Birmingham Avenue on St. Paul's East Side after he was charged with whipping her middle child with a belt.
He grew tired and frustrated with living out of his car and returned to the apartment Aug. 2 "to claim what he believed he was entitled to," Barker told the jury. Robinson awoke from a nap when she heard Brown rifling through her kitchen drawers. That's apparently where he grabbed a large box cutter. She tried to avoid an argument by leaving to run an errand, but Brown was still there when she got back. Again, she tried to ignore him.
Robinson didn't know he had a box cutter until he raised his hand and brought it down on her cheek. He continued slashing and, "She thought she was going to die in front of her children," Barker said.
Brown fled, crashing through a window. He called 911 and told a dispatcher that Robinson had tried to cut him and "I had to defend myself."
Robinson cried in her mother’s arms as Barker read her victim impact statement. The statement said in part, "[The attack] has changed my life forever ... I have to worry what people will think when they look at my scars. The kids will always know who did this to me."
Brown attempted to explain his actions that August night before sentencing. "At the time, it was like she was taking everything from me. I'm not blaming her in the least. I wish I could take back my actions. I'm just sorry for what I did… My wife IS a wonderful woman. My kids are wonderful."
After the sentencing, Barker said about the victim, "She is an amazing woman. She has developed into a wonderful mother. She works to support her children and did everything to keep them safe.”
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Suburban Twin Cities man charged with gunning down estranged wife - sentenced to 32 years
(Original Post 7-31-08)
Michael Iheme, 50, was charged with 1st degree murder Friday, July 25 for the shooting death of his wife, 28 year old Anthonia Thursday, July 24. The shooting happened as she left her workplace, the Sholom Home West. 2 witnesses reported a man, apparently Iheme, standing near his wife’s car. According to the subsequent 911 call, Iheme said “"I have killed the woman that messed my life up.... a woman that had destroyed me."
Hennepin County court records show that she had an active harassment restraining order against Iheme. The supporting affidavit suggests a history of domestic abuse, including threats by Iheme to kill his wife. The complaint said police in Brooklyn Park, where the couple lived most recently, had a number of domestic assault calls.
One of Anthonia Iheme's co-workers saw her get into her car about 2:35 p.m. Thursday and then saw Iheme get out of his car and shoot at Anthonia's car, which lurched forward, clipped a van, jumped a curb and rolled down a hill into a fence. Iheme followed the car down the hill and fired more shots, the complaint said.
Iheme was a stay at home father who took care of the kids while the wife worked, and the couple lived in Brooklyn Center, MN. Iheme moved out a few weeks after Anthonia moved out and filed a restraining order against her husband. The neighbor, who is afraid of retaliation from the suspect’s friends, said that when she locked herself out, Iheme, coming out in his underwear, complained about the noise when the locksmith showed up. He glared at the neighbor when she asked him to put on some clothes
Iheme is currently being held on $1 million bond at the Hennepin County Jail.
(Update 4-16-09) Iheme was sentenced to 32 years, the maximum for 2nd degree murder after delivering a 40 minute statement in Hennepin County District Judge Mel Dickstein's courtroom April 9. Iheme killed his wife after finding out the baby she gave birth to was another man's. The defense said that Iheme killed his wife in a fit of passion, but Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Deborah Russell stated Iheme knew about the "affair," therefore making the murder 1st instead of 2nd degree. Iheme was convicted last month of 2nd degree murder.
Iheme said he knows God has forgiven him and quoted several Bible verses that warn against responding to evil with evil. "I saw everything she did to me as rubbish," he said. "This marriage was done with good intention. It ended unfortunately. I wish I had the Holy Spirit like I have now. I would have overcome."
However, Judge Dickstein cut off Iheme to say that he really didn't care about the life of his wife or kids, and that because "your conduct was horrific by any measure...you should lose your freedom for as long as the law permits."
Michael Iheme, 50, was charged with 1st degree murder Friday, July 25 for the shooting death of his wife, 28 year old Anthonia Thursday, July 24. The shooting happened as she left her workplace, the Sholom Home West. 2 witnesses reported a man, apparently Iheme, standing near his wife’s car. According to the subsequent 911 call, Iheme said “"I have killed the woman that messed my life up.... a woman that had destroyed me."
Hennepin County court records show that she had an active harassment restraining order against Iheme. The supporting affidavit suggests a history of domestic abuse, including threats by Iheme to kill his wife. The complaint said police in Brooklyn Park, where the couple lived most recently, had a number of domestic assault calls.
One of Anthonia Iheme's co-workers saw her get into her car about 2:35 p.m. Thursday and then saw Iheme get out of his car and shoot at Anthonia's car, which lurched forward, clipped a van, jumped a curb and rolled down a hill into a fence. Iheme followed the car down the hill and fired more shots, the complaint said.
Iheme was a stay at home father who took care of the kids while the wife worked, and the couple lived in Brooklyn Center, MN. Iheme moved out a few weeks after Anthonia moved out and filed a restraining order against her husband. The neighbor, who is afraid of retaliation from the suspect’s friends, said that when she locked herself out, Iheme, coming out in his underwear, complained about the noise when the locksmith showed up. He glared at the neighbor when she asked him to put on some clothes
Iheme is currently being held on $1 million bond at the Hennepin County Jail.
(Update 4-16-09) Iheme was sentenced to 32 years, the maximum for 2nd degree murder after delivering a 40 minute statement in Hennepin County District Judge Mel Dickstein's courtroom April 9. Iheme killed his wife after finding out the baby she gave birth to was another man's. The defense said that Iheme killed his wife in a fit of passion, but Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Deborah Russell stated Iheme knew about the "affair," therefore making the murder 1st instead of 2nd degree. Iheme was convicted last month of 2nd degree murder.
Iheme said he knows God has forgiven him and quoted several Bible verses that warn against responding to evil with evil. "I saw everything she did to me as rubbish," he said. "This marriage was done with good intention. It ended unfortunately. I wish I had the Holy Spirit like I have now. I would have overcome."
However, Judge Dickstein cut off Iheme to say that he really didn't care about the life of his wife or kids, and that because "your conduct was horrific by any measure...you should lose your freedom for as long as the law permits."
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Former MN Gopher football player sentenced to year in jail for 4th degree CSC
(Originally Posted 5-31-08)Dominic Jones, a former Minnesota Gophers football player, was sentenced to a year in the workhouse (which is work release for those who aren't from Minnesota), four more years in prison suspended, 7 years probation, and $1000 restitution. The sentence comes on the heels on his conviction for 4th degree criminal sexual conduct.
In March, a jury convicted him of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, which involves performing a sex act on a victim without her consent. It acquitted him on a rape charge.
During the weeklong trial, jurors saw cell-phone video that appeared to show Jones masturbating over an 18-year-old woman in April 2007. Jones testified she consented to it.
The victim testified during the trial that she drank up to eight shots of vodka with another player before the act and didn't remember anything between when she was placed on a couch and the next morning.
On Thursday, the victim read a statement in court. She said, "I drank into myself helplessness ... but i did not ask to be raped." She added, "Yes, I have been sexually assaulted, and no, I will never get over it."
Jones was kicked off of the team when the charges were filed and eventually kicked out of the University Of Minnesota. Collateral consequences include registering as a predatory sex offender, getting sex offender treatment, and having no contact with the victim. His attorney, Earl Gray, says he will appeal both conviction and sentence. Three other players were investigated, but never charged in the assault. The sentencing judge was Hennepin County District Judge Marilyn Rosenbaum.
(Update 3-14-09) Jones was released from the workhouse after 8 months on March 2, but probation, which includes completion of sex offender treatment, has just begun. He was denied a chance to try out with the NFL in Ohio this weekend because he hasn't started sex offender treatment. The judge who made the ruling is the same judge who heard Jones' original sexual assault case.
Assistant County Attorney Marlene Senechal, who heads the violent crimes division, argued that Jones should not be allowed to go because he is an "untreated sex offender" and his chances of playing in the NFL are "unrealistic." She said, "It would be inappropriate for him to leave the state."
[Defense Attorney Earl] Gray took issue with Senechal's characterization of Jones' chances, saying he should at least be given an opportunity to try out for the NFL. "In order to be successful on probation, it would seem to me a man should be able to pursue his career," Gray said.
Rosenbloom agreed that Jones had met all requirements of his sentence, and suggested that after sex offender treatment commences, if another NFL tryout occured, she may change her mind.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
17 year old Twin Cities rapist sentenced to 15 1/2 years in prison
Ramsey County District Judge Michael T. DeCourcy sentenced an 18 year old suburban Twin Cities rapist to 15 ½ years in prison yesterday for an attack which took place August 18, 2007. Tarrance Jamal Peaches of Brooklyn Park, MN beat and raped a 17 year old girl from Fridley, MN in an alley early that morning.
According to court documents, the girl told police she had left a party and was walking near White Bear Avenue when a male grabbed her, threw her to the ground and forced her to give him oral sex. He then shoved her onto the bed of a truck, where he threatened to kill her and raped her two more times.
The victim was able to escape when two witnesses drove up in a truck and interrupted the assault. The defendant stole the girl's purse but left his cell phone at the scene. His DNA also was found during a sex assault exam on the victim and on a condom that was left at the scene.
According to Assistant State’s Attorney Heidi Westby, the girl missed a lot of school and is “emotionally distraught” and “unable to speak about the offense.”
The girl, now 17, and her mother sat red-eyed and huddled together in the courtroom Wednesday for the sentencing of Tarrance Jamal Peaches, but they did not give victim-impact statements.
Peaches plead guilty in June to 1st degree criminal sexual conduct, which carries a mandatory minimum 12 year prison sentence. Judge DeCourcy sentenced him to the 15 ½ years after calling the attack particulary heinous, saying, "We're all diminished by this."
According to court documents, the girl told police she had left a party and was walking near White Bear Avenue when a male grabbed her, threw her to the ground and forced her to give him oral sex. He then shoved her onto the bed of a truck, where he threatened to kill her and raped her two more times.
The victim was able to escape when two witnesses drove up in a truck and interrupted the assault. The defendant stole the girl's purse but left his cell phone at the scene. His DNA also was found during a sex assault exam on the victim and on a condom that was left at the scene.
According to Assistant State’s Attorney Heidi Westby, the girl missed a lot of school and is “emotionally distraught” and “unable to speak about the offense.”
The girl, now 17, and her mother sat red-eyed and huddled together in the courtroom Wednesday for the sentencing of Tarrance Jamal Peaches, but they did not give victim-impact statements.
Peaches plead guilty in June to 1st degree criminal sexual conduct, which carries a mandatory minimum 12 year prison sentence. Judge DeCourcy sentenced him to the 15 ½ years after calling the attack particulary heinous, saying, "We're all diminished by this."
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Twin Cities rapist sentenced to a dozen years in prison
Rage Ibrahim, a 26 year old Somali national who raped a woman in her St. Paul, MN apartment building last August 21, was sentenced to a dozen years in prison and 10 years of post release supervision for the attack, made more disgusting by refusal of her neighbors to help the victim. Surveillance video showed residents looking at the couple (Ibrahim and his victim), but doing nothin about the attack.
At one point, three men approached the couple. Ibrahim got off the woman and headed towards the men — shoving one of them back. Another of the men turned his head and covered his eyes with his hand.
No one called 911 for more than an hour, officials said.
Ibrahim's attorney, Jarod Peterson, told the court about how he watched his father and brother die in Somalia after gunmen stormed into their house 19 years ago, and that Ibrahim's drinking problem, which started around 2005, is a result of that tragedy.
There is no indication he's a danger to the public when he's not drinking," Peterson said.
Ramsey County District Judge Michael Fetsch said about the case, "Your past is full of tragedy - The present facts are another tragedy."
At one point, three men approached the couple. Ibrahim got off the woman and headed towards the men — shoving one of them back. Another of the men turned his head and covered his eyes with his hand.
No one called 911 for more than an hour, officials said.
Ibrahim's attorney, Jarod Peterson, told the court about how he watched his father and brother die in Somalia after gunmen stormed into their house 19 years ago, and that Ibrahim's drinking problem, which started around 2005, is a result of that tragedy.
There is no indication he's a danger to the public when he's not drinking," Peterson said.
Ramsey County District Judge Michael Fetsch said about the case, "Your past is full of tragedy - The present facts are another tragedy."
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
U of Minn student writes about rape for her school newspaper
A rape victim's advocate at the University of Minnesota, where there have been two high profile rapes in the past few months, has written a letter to the editor of the Minnesota Daily, stating that the high (20 to 25%) incidents of rape means that acquaintances should be the ones to watch out for. She also takes on the role that rape myths about stranger vs. acquaintance victimization and the victim blaiming that takes place.
Sexual assault thoughts
The past month or two of my life as a sexual assault advocate have been fairly routine. I've seen about the same number of clients, and I've wished about as hard as I usually do for more to come in and speak up. The only difference between now and, say, six months ago, is that "rape" has suddenly become a topic of serious discussion, something that makes eyes widen instead of roll.
Suddenly we're talking about needing more security because "more rapes occurred on campus last month than in all of 2007." Despite knowing quite well the rarity of stranger assault, even I find myself walking a little faster and looking over my shoulder a little more frequently lately.
The sad truth is that there weren't more rapes occurring this year, there were just more that got your attention.
According to the National Institute of Justice, one in four or five women will be sexually assaulted during college. That means, of your four or five closest female friends, one will be raped. Do you know someone who was attacked by a shadowy figure who jumped out from the bushes? Maybe not. But unless you know less than four women in college, it's a statistical certainty that you know more than a few victims of rape. If you want to dismiss the numbers as some sort of "feminist agenda," take it from someone who hears the stories firsthand from the people who lived them, whose lives were destroyed by them.
I hear a lot of people say that rape isn't a problem on this campus (remember those rolling eyes?), aside from the recent burst of incidents on and off campus. That's because rape is happening behind closed doors, among acquaintances, where one person uses guilt, social pressure, or intoxicated opportunities to take advantage of another. The victim is then left to fight an uphill battle against someone she or he likely cares about, the opinions and rude comments of mutual friends, and a society whose first questions are why she was in his room in the first place or what she was expecting by drinking. No wonder rape is underreported.
And what do these kinds of situations mean for life in general? If you're a woman, you better not have the audacity to walk down the street, wear a short skirt or drink at a party. After all, if you get attacked, it was your own fault for putting yourself in that position in the first place, right? If you're a man, women are going to look twice at you and wonder if you'll really listen if they say, "I'm not sure about this," or just pretend you didn't hear.
It's scary to think that someone might knock down your door, put a knife to your throat and rape you. But preventing these sorts of nightmares starts at standing up and speaking before they happen, by refusing to condone the disrespect, double standards, and victim-blaming in our society that fosters rape in the first place.
Jackie Heard
University student
Sexual assault thoughts
The past month or two of my life as a sexual assault advocate have been fairly routine. I've seen about the same number of clients, and I've wished about as hard as I usually do for more to come in and speak up. The only difference between now and, say, six months ago, is that "rape" has suddenly become a topic of serious discussion, something that makes eyes widen instead of roll.
Suddenly we're talking about needing more security because "more rapes occurred on campus last month than in all of 2007." Despite knowing quite well the rarity of stranger assault, even I find myself walking a little faster and looking over my shoulder a little more frequently lately.
The sad truth is that there weren't more rapes occurring this year, there were just more that got your attention.
According to the National Institute of Justice, one in four or five women will be sexually assaulted during college. That means, of your four or five closest female friends, one will be raped. Do you know someone who was attacked by a shadowy figure who jumped out from the bushes? Maybe not. But unless you know less than four women in college, it's a statistical certainty that you know more than a few victims of rape. If you want to dismiss the numbers as some sort of "feminist agenda," take it from someone who hears the stories firsthand from the people who lived them, whose lives were destroyed by them.
I hear a lot of people say that rape isn't a problem on this campus (remember those rolling eyes?), aside from the recent burst of incidents on and off campus. That's because rape is happening behind closed doors, among acquaintances, where one person uses guilt, social pressure, or intoxicated opportunities to take advantage of another. The victim is then left to fight an uphill battle against someone she or he likely cares about, the opinions and rude comments of mutual friends, and a society whose first questions are why she was in his room in the first place or what she was expecting by drinking. No wonder rape is underreported.
And what do these kinds of situations mean for life in general? If you're a woman, you better not have the audacity to walk down the street, wear a short skirt or drink at a party. After all, if you get attacked, it was your own fault for putting yourself in that position in the first place, right? If you're a man, women are going to look twice at you and wonder if you'll really listen if they say, "I'm not sure about this," or just pretend you didn't hear.
It's scary to think that someone might knock down your door, put a knife to your throat and rape you. But preventing these sorts of nightmares starts at standing up and speaking before they happen, by refusing to condone the disrespect, double standards, and victim-blaming in our society that fosters rape in the first place.
Jackie Heard
University student
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Minneapolis man pleads guilty to stabbing wife to death
(Original Post 6-3-08)
A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to 2nd degree intentional murder just before he was about to stand trial in the death of his wife. After chasing his wife, Kyra Simonian, around their apartment screaming, "Do you love me?!" killing her by stabbing her 15 times in the head and neck then smashing her head in with a hammer, Matthew Gretz then flew to New York City on a business trip. Police found Simonian's blood on the suitcase her husband took to New York after he returned from his trip.
County Attorney Mike Freeman said this morning "the DNA was very clear" that Gretz killed Simonian, 32. However, Freeman said even though Gretz entered "a straight up plea" on what he was being charged for, "we don't know why he committed this crime."
Simonian was a graduate student at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. She lived about a block away from the college with her husband, who worked in marketing at Target Corp. They had talked about moving back to Chicago, where they met.
Gretz, who pleaded guilty to 2nd degree intentional murder, will be sentenced June 25. He faces over 25 years in prison.
(Update 6-26-08) Gretz was sentenced to 25 1/2 years in prison with parole in 17 for the murder of his wife. “I stabbed and intentionally killed my wife,” he said in court. He was given credit for almost 9 months served in jail, and is eligible for release after 2/3 of his sentence.
A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to 2nd degree intentional murder just before he was about to stand trial in the death of his wife. After chasing his wife, Kyra Simonian, around their apartment screaming, "Do you love me?!" killing her by stabbing her 15 times in the head and neck then smashing her head in with a hammer, Matthew Gretz then flew to New York City on a business trip. Police found Simonian's blood on the suitcase her husband took to New York after he returned from his trip.
County Attorney Mike Freeman said this morning "the DNA was very clear" that Gretz killed Simonian, 32. However, Freeman said even though Gretz entered "a straight up plea" on what he was being charged for, "we don't know why he committed this crime."
Simonian was a graduate student at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. She lived about a block away from the college with her husband, who worked in marketing at Target Corp. They had talked about moving back to Chicago, where they met.
Gretz, who pleaded guilty to 2nd degree intentional murder, will be sentenced June 25. He faces over 25 years in prison.
(Update 6-26-08) Gretz was sentenced to 25 1/2 years in prison with parole in 17 for the murder of his wife. “I stabbed and intentionally killed my wife,” he said in court. He was given credit for almost 9 months served in jail, and is eligible for release after 2/3 of his sentence.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Minnesota man charged in rape of Uof M student
A suspect has been arrested in the sexual assault of a University of Minnesota student near the Minneapolis campus on May 4. Christopher Edward Karls, 24, has been charged with three counts of 1st degree criminal sexual conduct, three counts of burglary, and a count of kidnapping.
According to the criminal complaint, Karls entered the victim’s 15th Ave. SE apartment through a window. While investigating the crime scene, police found blood on the bent aluminum frame of a storm window. A blood sample was collected as evidence, which matched the DNA profile of Chris Karls.
The woman told police she heard someone in the apartment, but thought it was a roommate. When she went into her room, she saw a man, slammed the door and locked it. The man kicked down the door.
The woman hit the intruder with a curling knife but stopped after seeing his knife. When the man, asking for money, saw she did not have any, she tried to appease him by offering her computer and curling iron instead.
According to the complaint, the man put a knife to her throat and told her to take off her clothes. He ordered her to perform oral sex, put on a condom and sexually assaulted her in multiple ways.
When he finished assaulting her, the man told her to take a shower. The victim took a comforter from her bed, hiding a cell phone inside to call police. She dialed 911, but the man heard her, took the phone and removed the battery.
After the man left the bathroom, police say the woman, wearing only a towel, jumped from a second floor window to the deck below. She broke her ankle in the fall and had injuries on her body from the knife.
Christopher Edward Karls has several past burglary convictions in Stearns County and Dakota County. He is currently being held at the Hennepin County Jail for the Minneapolis rape charges.
A second assault involving a U of M student, at Pioneer Hall on the University of Minnesota campus, remains unsolved. Karls is not currently linked to that assault.
According to the criminal complaint, Karls entered the victim’s 15th Ave. SE apartment through a window. While investigating the crime scene, police found blood on the bent aluminum frame of a storm window. A blood sample was collected as evidence, which matched the DNA profile of Chris Karls.
The woman told police she heard someone in the apartment, but thought it was a roommate. When she went into her room, she saw a man, slammed the door and locked it. The man kicked down the door.
The woman hit the intruder with a curling knife but stopped after seeing his knife. When the man, asking for money, saw she did not have any, she tried to appease him by offering her computer and curling iron instead.
According to the complaint, the man put a knife to her throat and told her to take off her clothes. He ordered her to perform oral sex, put on a condom and sexually assaulted her in multiple ways.
When he finished assaulting her, the man told her to take a shower. The victim took a comforter from her bed, hiding a cell phone inside to call police. She dialed 911, but the man heard her, took the phone and removed the battery.
After the man left the bathroom, police say the woman, wearing only a towel, jumped from a second floor window to the deck below. She broke her ankle in the fall and had injuries on her body from the knife.
Christopher Edward Karls has several past burglary convictions in Stearns County and Dakota County. He is currently being held at the Hennepin County Jail for the Minneapolis rape charges.
A second assault involving a U of M student, at Pioneer Hall on the University of Minnesota campus, remains unsolved. Karls is not currently linked to that assault.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Massage therapist charged with offensive touching
Travis Conrad Friedrichs, a 23 year old massage therapist has been charged with 4th degree criminal sexual conduct for inappropriately touching a woman at a chiropractic firm in Mankato.
According to the criminal complaint, when the client became upset with the massage and went to leave, Friedrichs became apologetic and told her she would not have to pay for the service. Authorities say Friedrichs admitted to some of the inappropriate touching during questioning. Friedrichs is legally blind.
A court date has been set for May 19.
According to the criminal complaint, when the client became upset with the massage and went to leave, Friedrichs became apologetic and told her she would not have to pay for the service. Authorities say Friedrichs admitted to some of the inappropriate touching during questioning. Friedrichs is legally blind.
A court date has been set for May 19.
St. Paul, MN gang rape suspects held
Yancarlos Avile, 25, Jose Portillo, 27, and Jose Perez-Rodriguez, 18, have been charged with 1st and 3rd degree CSC for the rape of a 21 year old woman on April 27. Officers went to an apartment in St. Paul where the woman where the woman reported the rape. Additional officers arrived to detain the men.
The victim said one of her assailants, whom she did not previously know, had offered to give her a ride home at a party. She went with him, and he stopped at a nearby apartment to ”get his keys.” Two of his friends followed and went with them. They arrived at his apartment, where the three men allegedly forced penetration on her. She was able to escape out the back door to a friend’s apartment.
The victim said there were other people in the apartment – who did not come to help her, even though she was crying for help.
When questioned, Perez-Rodriguez said the girl asked for $50 and admitted having sex with her at Portilla’s apartment. He said the other two men followed, having sex with the woman. He said he grabbed her arm and she fell against the bathtub.
Aviles admitted having sex with the woman, saying she agreed to it. He told police he felt bad for using physical force on her, and that someone said she was paid for.
Portillo told police he had sex with the girl and paid her $60. He said he was the third one to have sex with her.
The victim said there were other people in the apartment – who did not come to help her, even though she was crying for help.
When questioned, Perez-Rodriguez said the girl asked for $50 and admitted having sex with her at Portilla’s apartment. He said the other two men followed, having sex with the woman. He said he grabbed her arm and she fell against the bathtub.
Aviles admitted having sex with the woman, saying she agreed to it. He told police he felt bad for using physical force on her, and that someone said she was paid for.
Portillo told police he had sex with the girl and paid her $60. He said he was the third one to have sex with her.
Police questioned the victim, who identified the panties she wore before the rape as those in Portillo's pocket. They also found used condoms on the floor. All suspects face 1st and 3rd degree criminal sexual conduct charges, charges which carry a minimum sentence of 12 years and a maximum sentence of 45 years is prison and a $70,000 fine.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
