Rapist sentenced to 50 more years for week-long assault on wife - appeal denied

(Original Post 9-29-09)
A man who was convicted of raping his wife in a second trial was sentenced to 50 years in prison in addition to 22 years handed down in a previous aggravated rape conviction. The 50 years sentence stems from two consecutive 25 year sentences for aggravated rape and especially aggravated kidnapping. 6 year sentences for aggravated burglary and aggravated assault were imposed, but they'll run concurrently with the other charges.

Sullivan County Criminal Court Judge Robert Montgomery said that he “I shudder to think what might have happened” if Bristol TN resident Doug Young, 49, hadn't been apprehended in Georgia a week after he kidnapped and raped his wife, Heather Moore.

The rapes and kidnapping occurred over the week of January 4 to 11, 2008 after they ate breakfast at Moore's home. Young's presence was a violation of the protective order Moore filed against him on December 3, 2007, citing that “[Young] possesses many firearms and has threatened to shoot me and I am in fear for my life.” Moore's father, fred Moore began staying with his daughter, trying to protect her.

The two traveled in Moore’s vehicle to Asheville, N.C., where they spent the night at a rest stop; to Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where they circled the scenic loop over and over again; and to Cherokee, N.C., where they holed up at the Drama Inn for most of the next week, according to testimony presented Monday and Tuesday.

From Cherokee, Young and Moore took shopping and dining excursions to Spartanburg, S.C., and Clayton, Ga. From Jan. 4 to Jan. 11, Moore testified, Young kept a gun trained on her at almost all times, and forced her to have sex with him on at least seven separate occasions. Prosecutors are focusing only on the incidents that occurred in Sullivan County.

Everywhere they went, Moore testified, Young kept the pistol in his right-hand pants pocket. One day, while drinking vodka and driving, Young menaced her with the gun, running it up and down her head, saying, “I could kill you right now,” she recalled.

Friday’s sentencing concluded the most serious charges that Young racked up in just over a month between Dec. 1, 2007, and Jan. 10, 2008. Before then, he had been a superintendent at BurWil Construction, whose worst offense was an incident of joyriding as a juvenile.

But with his marriage to Moore unraveling, Young turned violent, sexually assaulting Moore in December 2007 at her home, after she refused to give him a hug, a jury concluded.

Then, on the eve of finalizing their divorce and days ahead of a hearing on Young’s aggravated rape charge, he violated the court’s no-contact order and stole in to Moore’s house to wait for her.

Prosecutors in Young’s second trial in August built their case by focusing on his offenses from the time he entered Moore’s residence, to when he left, abducting her at gunpoint, and commandeering her car.

According to Moore's previous victim impact statement, she fears coming home at dark, her rapist escaping and putting a gun to her head, and has to face the door when eating at restaurants. "All of this make it very difficult to report a crime like this and have the most horrible thing that has ever happened to you be exposed in the media for all to see.”

Moore's mother, Margaret Schaffer, said that “We’re going forward now. We’re not looking back.” Young's 2008 rape conviction is currently being appealed.

(Update 5-27-11) Doug Young's appeal of his 2009 rape conviction has been denied by the Tennessee Court Of Criminal Appeals in a unanimous decision dated Monday, May 23, 2011. The appeal is based on the introduction of Young's 1st rape conviction in the second trial as evidence. The court said that while testimony regarding the first rape conviction was a bit excessive, it allowed prosecutors to privide evidence of a criminal plan or motive. The appellate court also ruled that other evidence against Young outweightd the error of allowing the testimony relating to the first conviction. The entire decision can be found here in this pdf file. The case number is E2010-00027-CCA-R3-CD.

15 year old boy handed 15 life sentences in rapes - sentence modified to 65 years

(Original Post 3-14-10) A 15 year old boy was sentenced to 15 life terms Wednesday, March 10 for raping and kidnapping two Apollo Beach restaraunt workers. Jose Walle, 13 when he attacked the woman, entered a blind plea to 19 felony counts last month.

The women were abducted from the Apollo Beach restaurant Aug. 15, 2008, held for several hours and repeatedly sexually assaulted before being dumped along Interstate 75. One said Walle got in the back seat of her truck, pointed a gun at her and raped her.

One of the victims said in her impact statement, "There was no doubt in my mind that he would kill us. He chose to rob us. He chose to abduct us. He was the one who raped me." The other victim said that "I think he should be shown the same mercy he showed us - none."

Walle's parents, friends, soccer coach and attorney, as well as a psychiatrist hired by the defense, portrayed him as a youth soccer star who got caught up in drugs and came under the sway of bad influences - co-defendants Rigoberto Martinez, 22, and Vincente Reyes-Carbajal, 21, who are awaiting trial.

Walle's explanation of his attack on the women was "I was angry. I was on drugs."

But Assistant State Attorney Rita Peters said Walle laughed and smiled his way through a presentence interview with a state corrections official. Walle told the official, "I'm a nice guy, but if you mess with me I have no problems killing you," Peters quoted from the report.

Hillsborough Circuit Judge Chet Tharpe used those statements to justify his 15 life sentences. This is one of the most disturbing cases I have ever come across...If he is not stopped, he is going to do it again. And, quite frankly, I'm not willing to take that chance. It is my intention that you never ever walk the streets of our community again as a free man. He's going to kill; it's just a matter of time."

Walle's life sentences will be served concurrently to one another and consexutively with a 27 year sentence handed down for the rape of a third woman. Two other Florida youths have been jailed for life without parole terms for non-murder crimes committed at 13.

(Update 5-21-11) After a 2010 US Supreme Court ruling stating that juveniles cannot be sentenced to life without parole for crimes other than murder, Judge Tharpe resentenced Walle to 65 years imprisonment on Wednesday, November 17, 2010. Judge Tharpe said at Walle's second sentencing, "Jose Walle knew the difference between right and wrong. He has forfeited his right to live in a free society."

After listening to both sides re-present arguments made during the first sentencing, Judge Tharpe said to the defense, "Let me start out by saying, what's wrong with this picture? Shouldn't our focus be first and foremost on the welfare of the victims? Is it not cruel and unusual punishment for the victims to have endured the rage, the brutality, the terror that your client exacted upon them? What about the fact that these ladies have to live the rest of their lives worrying about whether or not they will become a victim again of another person like Jose Walle …Isn't that cruel and unusual punishment?"

Tharpe also gave the opinon that the juvenile justice system does not give enough accountability to youths convicted of serious crimes and that "grave crimes bring grave sentences.""Why don't we focus our money and our resources and our time on fixing the problems as opposed to trying to coddle a Jose Walle?"

27 to life for rape of coed by fellow college student

Former Cuesta College student David Andrew Shenosky was sentenced to 27 to life on Friday, April 22, 2011 for the rape and kidnapping of a fellow student on March 27, 2010. The 23 year old plead no contest under San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge John Trice

After the incident, her eyes had broken blood vessels, consistent with the choking she described, and an examination found that she had been raped, police said. Police found a note on Shenosky’s computer expressing his regret for hurting her. The note said he loved her and wished the incident had never happened. According to the woman’s statements to police, Shenosky drove her home to San Luis Obispo after the rape and then she told her roommates, later describing the events to police.

Shenosky's sentence is as follows : 15 years to life on a single count of forcible rape, and 12 years for 2 counts of felony sexual penetration by a foreign object and a count of kidnapping, all to be served consecutively.

Minnesota serial predator sentenced to 10 years for raping woman, groping three others

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."

Sterling Heights man who kidnapped, raped mother of his children gets 26 3/4 to 75 years

A Sterling Heights, MI man was sentenced to 26 3/4 to 75 years in prison in a suburban Detroit courtroom Friday, April 15, 2011 for raping and kidnapping his "girlfriend," the mother of his two children, on New Years Day 2010.  Brandon Jay Smith kidnapped the woman be forcing her into his grandmother's car when she arrived to work at a Green Oak Township restaurant.

The woman testified at a June preliminary examination that Smith was waiting for her when she arrived to work. She said he told her not to resist and not to scream for help. She resisted and she screamed, and Smith grew angrier, the woman said. The woman sat on the ground in an effort to be dead weight, but her 5-foot, 96-pound frame was no match for Smith, at 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds.

She said Smith fled on U.S. 23, where he cut off his electronic tether, he had to wear one as a condition of his sentencing less than a month earlier on charges of aggravated domestic violence against the same woman, and threw it out the window. He put zip ties on her wrists and took the batteries out of both of their cell phones.

Smith told the woman that he was taking her somewhere no one would find her and during that trip north, he told her that he was going to asphyxiate himself and she was going to watch. He also told her that he was going to kill her and if police stopped them, he threatened to kill her in front of them.

The woman said Smith raped her while en route to his family’s camper trailer in Antrim County and again once they reached the site. She was rescued by Antrim County sheriff’s deputies in the early morning hours of Jan. 2, 2010.

Defense attorney Mark Gatesman said that he was proud of his client's taking responsibility. He also said that a factor in his client's favor was that instead of killing his victim should police raid the trailer, he simply surrendered to police.

This view contrasts with some of the statements Smith made to the Center for Forensic Psychiatry.  "My intent was never to hurt her, but she got hurt. We were supposed to go up to the camper, up north. She kept asking why we were going there. I told her that's where I'm going to commit suicide. ... The reason she was with me was she could watch. Never got around to doing it, though. The cops came before I had a chance to."

However, according to presiding Judge Livingston County Circuit Judge Michael P. Hatty, it was Smith's mother who took on her reasonably to the mother of her grandkids to lead them to the camper. Judge Hatty, citing the "horrendous" nature of the case, said "This case came up very short of being a murder case, if the police didn't get there quick enough." According to Prosecutor David Moses, the victim was 45 minutes from death. "She thought she was going to die. She thought she would not see her family again, would not see her children," Moses said about the victim.

Beside the kidnapping and 1st degree criminal sexual conduct counts, Smith was also sentenced for assault with intent to commit great bodily harm, aggravated domestic violence and assault with a dangerous weapon for threatening and cutting the woman with a knife as well as interfering with electronic communications.

The victim's father, who attended the sentencing, said that he thanked the officials who helped find his daughter. "We owe a lot to the police agencies that were involved in this. Those guys did a great job."

Victoria, BC teens sentenced to 10 to life for rape slaying of 18 year old girl

By Louise Dickson, Postmedia News [Vancouver Sun]

Kruse Wellwood, one of two teens sentenced to life in prison for the brutal rape and murder of 18-year old Kimberly Proctor last year, is the son of a convicted murderer.

On Monday, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Robert Johnston sentenced Wellwood, 17, and Cameron Moffat, 18, as adults and lifted the publication ban that had been protecting their identities since their arrest last June. Proctor was lured to a home, then tortured, beaten and sexually assaulted before she was killed. Her body was dumped and burned on a hiking trail in March 2010.

In eerily similar circumstances, Wellwood's father, Robert Dezwaan, is serving a life sentence for the 2001 murder of 16-year-old Cherish Billy Oppenheim in Merritt. Dezwaan got her drunk, sexually assaulted her and beat her to death. He left her badly damaged body covered with rocks and debris off a deserted road -where he later took RCMP after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Dezwaan committed the crime while out on bail for a previous sexual assault.

At Monday's sentencing in a packed Victoria courtroom, Johnston ruled a youth sentence would not be long enough to hold the teens accountable for their crimes. He imposed the maximum adult sentence available for young offenders.

"It goes without saying first-degree murder with intent to kill is the most serious of offences. The circumstances of this murder as admitted by the young persons are so horrific that no words can adequately convey the inhumane cruelty these young men showed Miss Proctor," said Johnston. "They planned in advance to sexually assault and kill Miss Proctor. They chose her because they thought she would be an easy target, not necessarily because either of them had any ill will towards her."

Members of Proctor's family, including mother Lucia and father Fred, filled the front row of the courtroom. Lucia wiped away tears as Wellwood stood, hands clasped in front, with lawyer Bob Jones by his side as he was sentenced to life in prison.

Defence lawyer Steven Kelliher stood by Moffat, who appeared unemotional as he was sentenced to life in prison.

Outside court, Fred Proctor called the teens "animals" and said they deserve to die a long, slow, painful death."I don't even like to call them animals because Kim was such an animal lover," said Lucia. "To me they're just monsters and monsters are not rehabilitatable."

She lashed out at Wellwood's and Moffat's parents, saying they should have done something about their sons' risky behaviour before it escalated. "This didn't happen overnight this behaviour. You see the signs. You know when something is wrong with your child."

In October, Wellwood and Moffat pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of Proctor, whose badly burned body was found under a bridge on the Galloping Goose Trail on March 19, 2010. The two admitted they lured the Grade 12 student to Wellwood's home, tied her up, gagged her, sexually assaulted her, beat her, suffocated her and mutilated her body with a knife. They then put her body in a freezer. The next day, they put it in a duffel bag and took it by bus to the Galloping Goose Trail.

Johnston also sentenced Wellwood and Moffat to five-year concurrent sentences on the charge of indignity to human remains, authorized the taking of DNA samples from the teens, and imposed a 10-year firearms prohibition.

Charges of sexual assault and unlawful confinement were stayed last week during the grim two-day sentencing hearing in which Crown prosecutor Peter Juk urged Johnston to impose adult sentences for the protection of the public.

Wellwood's father's crimes bear a striking similarity to the rape and murder of Proctor. The details of Dezwaan's offences can only be published now that the judge has lifted a publication ban on Wellwood's and Moffat's identities.

Before his murder conviction, Dezwaan had been arrested in March 2001 for sexual assault with a weapon, confinement, and robbery of a young woman in Kelowna. That followed a 1993 incident in which he was convicted of unlawful confinement and break and enter after he broke into a woman's home at night, climbed on her and tried to stuff a rag in her mouth.

A letter written by Wellwood and read in court last week, said: "As a child, I hated my father for what he had done. I felt I was less than him and now I find I have become a worse man. If you told me 10 years ago that I would commit one of the worst murders in British Columbia, I would not have believed you."

Court-ordered psychiatric and psychological reports on the teens show they are a high risk to reoffend violently and sexually. The reports also show there is little chance they can be rehabilitated.

Wellwood has been diagnosed as a sexual sadist -someone who derives sexual gratification from inflicting pain -with very strong psychopathic traits and strong indicators for necrophilia, an erotic attraction to corpses. A psychologist found he was aroused by the physical and psychological suffering of others, had rape fantasies and was interested in bondage and sexual asphyxia.

Moffat was not diagnosed as a sexual sadist but has a tendency to sexual deviance and the risk and thrill that go along with it. He has had conduct disorder problems since early childhood that involve defiant anti-social behaviour.

Former high school basketball star given 84 to 230 years in home invasion rapes

On March 10, 2011, a former basketball player was sentenced to 84-230 years imprisonment for two Philadelphia assaults. 25 year old Domenique Wilson was handed the term by Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Charles J. Cunningham III, who said he handed down the sentence to ensure "there is never a day when he is out."

Judge Cunningham continued, "This was not the case of someone who broke in an apartment and happened to find somebody there. You are a serial rapist, a serial criminal. You just got caught sooner rather than later." Wilson was convicted by a jury in November of rape, burglary, and robbery in the Philly attacks.

Wilson forced his way into an apartment on Oct. 22, 2008, on Clinton Street in Center City. He then raped and robbed a 25-year-old woman at knifepoint, and tied up, robbed, and assaulted her 29-year-old boyfriend.

Wilson was also found guilty of forcing his way into a Spruce Street apartment Dec. 19, 2008. The 24- and 22-year-old University of Pennsylvania female students testified that Wilson threatened them with a gun and knife, covered their eyes, mouths, and wrists with duct tape, and repeatedly raped one.

Both rape victims gave an impact statement, read in court. The first victim's statement said, "In one selfish, disgusting act, you destroyed every part of my life. You attacked me repeatedly in my own bedroom. I no longer have a safe place to call my own - not a single one. My fear is practically constant...With how heartless you seem to be, I don't know if you have the capacity to feel sorry for what you did. But I trust you'll have a long time ahead to think about it."

The Spruce Street victim said, "I want to say 'thank you' for all of the wonderful things I have been blessed with from this horrible act," including a closer relationship with the roommate who had to hear the rape, and a friendship with the other victims.

The Philadelphia sentence will be served consecutively to a Clinton County, PA sentence of 70 to 196 years for home invasion rapes at Lock Haven University in February 2009. Wilson attended school on a basketball scholarship before DNA evidence linked him to the college attacks in April 2009. Wilson was sentenced for those crimes in June.

Serial criminal sentenced to 88 years for rape, confinement of 78 year old woman

Friday, March 4, 2011

By Anna Rochelle, Staff Writer [Greene County [IN] Daily World]

The wheels of justice turned tough Friday [March 4, 2011]on Alex C. Callison, a Bloomfield man who entered several pleas of guilty in a case involving the rape and confinement of a 78-year-old woman in October. He's headed to the Indiana Department of Corrections for 88 years in prison. Even if he racks up good time credit, it would still be 44 years before his release. Callison was 28 years old when he was arrested on Oct. 31.

When Greene Superior Court Judge Dena Martin pronounced the sentence on each of four criminal counts, she ruled that the sentences will be served consecutively, or one after the other.

During a change of plea and sentencing hearing early Monday, Callison entered a plea of guilty to, and was sentenced to:

* Burglary, a class A felony, 47.5 years (the maximum allowed by law is 50 years)

* Rape, a class B felony, 19 years (maximum of 20 years)

* Criminal deviate conduct, a class B felony, 19 years (maximum of 20 years)

* Intimidation, a class D felony, 2.5 years (maximum of 3 years)

Callison was represented in court by Attorney James Riester, serving as a public defender. The State's case was argued by Greene County Deputy Prosecutor Keven McIntosh.

The case initially filed against Callison included five other criminal counts which were dismissed under the terms of a negotiated plea agreement. The agreement left sentencing up to the discretion of the judge.

After the hearing, McIntosh said the Prosecutor's Office was pleased with the sentences. "He got roughly what he would have gotten had this case gone to trial and if he had been found guilty by a jury," said McIntosh noting that under Indiana's sentencing guidelines, some of the charges would have been merged for sentencing purposes.

"I'm happy with the outcome and I think the victim's family is happy with the outcome," said McIntosh.

The defense did not share that satisfaction and requested that a state public defender be appointed to represent Callison in an appeal of the sentence. Since Callison plead guilty, by law he cannot appeal the conviction, but he can appeal the sentence.

McIntosh said the victim did not ever want to see the defendant again and she didn't want to have to go through a trial. But she told him if it became necessary, she would testify. The victim did not attend the sentencing hearing, but was represented by four members of her family who all took the stand: Three daughters and one granddaughter.

 "They did a tremendous job conveying to the judge how this has affected their mother and grandmother and their entire family," said McIntosh. "They should be commended for their heartfelt testimony."

Callison was accused of breaking into a home where the elderly victim lived alone. She thought she heard a knock on her door at 3:30 a.m. but chose not to answer it due to the time of night. Moments later Callison broke in and made his way into her bedroom.

Callison stayed in the home until the next afternoon. During that time, the victim was attacked again and again, forced to make breakfast for the man and she was threatened with knives out of her own kitchen.

She was able to give police a description and later identified Callison in a photo lineup. Crime scene technicians seized numerous items of evidence including the knives, Coke cans he drank from and other materials with DNA evidence and/or fingerprints.

When the victim was first interviewed, a detective said she was "visibly shaken" and became physically ill. During the hearing, two interviews were replayed, one with the victim and one with Callison.

Callison's criminal history was also brought out -- he had one previous conviction on his record, a class C felony burglary involving a break-in at a barber shop in Daviess County. Callison was on parole for that conviction when the current crime was committed.

McIntosh said he thought the defendant did seem sorry for what had happened but that didn't make up for what he did to the victim.

"I do not think that Callison is just a predator. I think this incident was fueled by drugs and alcohol," said McIntosh. "Appearances can be deceiving, but in court, he seemed remorseful. And by admitting guilt, he did save us going through a trial."

When asked about the victim's recovery, McIntosh said this had been a very difficult experience for her. "Since this happened, she's no longer able to stay by herself -- this changed her life greatly," said McIntosh. "She's tough, but this has affected her deeply. I hope she will overcome this, I think she will overcome this. I know she's a resilient lady."

© Copyright 2011 Greene County Daily World. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Northwest Houston serial rapist sentenced to life with parole possibility in 30 years

By CINDY GEORGE HOUSTON CHRONICLE
March 4, 2011, 5:18AM

A Houston man charged with five rapes and a murder in the Acres Homes neighborhood received a life sentence with the possibility of parole on Thursday. The same jury found LaMarques Devon McWilliams, 35, guilty last Friday of one aggravated sexual assault — a first-degree felony. The other rape charges were dismissed. He will be eligible for parole after serving 30 years in prison, according to his lawyer, Jacquelyn Carpenter.

McWilliams is accused of raping a woman who has pleaded guilty to prostitution three times in Harris County in the past two years, according to public records. The woman, who is not being named by the Houston Chronicle, testified during the guilt-innocence part of the trial.

After McWilliams was convicted on the single aggravated sexual assault charge, the prosecution presented DNA evidence that linked him to several other women, who testified during the penalty phase of the trial that they were raped by McWilliams.

McWilliams was arrested in August 2009 on two counts of aggravated sexual assault. A month later, he was charged with three more rapes and the death of Pamela Ann Goss, whose body was found in the Acres Homes area in 2006. McWilliams still faces a murder charge.

Carpenter said most of the women who testified this week worked as prostitutes.

"DNA shows evidence of sexual activity but it doesn't necessarily mean that the sexual activity was rape," the defense lawyer said. "If there were any sex, I believe it was consensual."

McWilliams did not testify, but has maintained his innocence. His lawyers have filed a notice of appeal.

Carpenter contends that her client was identified by police for political expediency as a way to calm fears about a rash of rapes and killings.

"They've been looking for someone for years," she said. "This was about showing the black community that we care that something is happening in (Acres Homes)."

A prosecutor with the Harris County District Attorney's Office could not be reached for comment.

Acres Homes residents and local activists became alarmed by the possibility of a serial killer or serial rapist in the northwest Harris County community after several bodies were found along roadsides, ditches and empty lots beginning in 2006. During the same time, there were dozens of sexual assault reports in the area. The investigation became one of the largest in the history of the Houston Police Department, which formed a special task force and devoted what was described as unprecedented resources to chase leads.

That probe resulted in multiple arrests, but charges were filed against McWilliams and Bilford Dwight Junious, 40, who was accused of nine sexual assaults in Acres Homes over seven years. He was convicted on one rape charge in 2009 and sentenced to 40 years in prison. The other charges were dismissed.

cindy.george@chron.com

Chandra Levy's murderer convicted, sentenced to 60 years - victim's mom says no closure

(Original Post 11-23-10)
Washington (CNN) -- After more than three days of deliberations, jurors on Monday convicted Ingmar Guandique of two counts of first-degree murder in the 2001 death of Washington intern Chandra Levy.

As the verdict was read, Levy's mother, Susan, stared intently at Guandique. Several jurors wiped their eyes afterward.

Levy, a 24-year-old California native, was in Washington working as an intern for the Bureau of Prisons when she was last seen on May 1, 2001. Her skull was found over a year later, on May 22, 2002, in Washington's Rock Creek Park. But police didn't arrest Guandique until February 2009. He was then serving a 10-year sentence for attacking two other women in the park and had reportedly spoken about killing Levy.

"It's been nearly 10 years since the promise of a young life was lost in Rock Creek Park," Ronald Machen, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, told reporters Monday afternoon. "Today's verdict does send a message for a murderer to be held accountable. It's never too late for justice to be served."

Following an 11-day trial, jurors deliberated for three days and then for another two hours Monday. They notified Superior Court Judge Gerald Fisher about 11:45 a.m. that they had reached a verdict, entering the courtroom at 12:35 p.m. ET.

Speaking after their dismissal, jurors told reporters they took the time to examine each piece of evidence and consider it. "We were very careful to evaluate all the evidence, and it was a decision based on everything we had," said juror Susan Kelly, a journalist.

Guandique, 29, will face a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole when he is sentenced February 11. The jury convicted him of one count of murder with kidnapping and a second count of murder with attempted robbery.

After the verdict, Susan Levy asked reporters, "What difference does it make," and then answered her own question."You, the prosecutors, defense, the jury, the police, the public and individual citizens, as well as the media, both the written media and the visual media, we all make a difference," she said. "... It makes a difference to find the right person who is responsible for my daughter's death or for anybody else's death."

Regardless of the sentence Guandique is given, "I have a lifetime sentence of a lost limb missing from our family tree," she said. "It's painful. I live with it every day. ... There's always going to be a feeling of sadness."

Emily Grinstead told reporters that she and fellow jurors were mindful not to rush a decision. While confident they reached the right verdict, she said that "doesn't mean that I don't wish we didn't have to be here today."

"You're dealing with somebody's life," Grinstead said. "Two people's lives. I don't take that lightly."

Asked what she would say to Susan Levy, juror Linda Norton said, "I think she has to take from this what she will. We cannot bring back her daughter. ... We did the best we could with the evidence we were given."

Prosecutors argued that Guandique, a reputed member of the Salvadoran gang Mara Salvatrucha, attacked Levy while she was jogging in Washington's Rock Creek Park. After her skull was found, a search turned up other remains of Levy's, as well as clothing later identified as hers strewn down the side of a ravine. Her running shoes were unlaced, and her clothes were turned inside out. Her pants were knotted in tight restraints around her legs.

Prosecutor Amanda Haines, during her closing argument, cited what she portrayed as confessions that Guandique allegedly made to a cellmate as he served time for other attacks, as well as remarks he allegedly made to a female pen pal.

Defense attorney Santha Sonenberg emphasized the largely circumstantial nature of the case, including what prosecutors have acknowledged was a lack of DNA evidence, a lack of witnesses and only secondhand accounts of Guandique's alleged confessions.

Both the women who Guandique also attacked in the park -- including one on the same day Levy went missing -- spoke at the trial, testimony that Kelly called "powerful." He had pleaded guilty for his role in those attacks, and was set to be released in September 2010.

The disappearance of Levy drew national attention after her parents discovered a connection with Gary Condit, who was then a sitting congressman from California. Condit was never a suspect in the case, but he was questioned intensively for details about Levy's whereabouts.

He testified in the trial earlier this month, but refused to address a question about whether he had sex with Levy. An FBI forensic expert later confirmed Condit's semen had been found in underwear retrieved from Levy's apartment in the days after her parents reported her missing. "We've lost our feeling for common decency. I didn't commit any crime. I didn't do anything wrong," he said.

Condit said several times during his testimony that the media frenzy surrounding Levy's disappearance was hard to handle, including a helicopter flight over his California home while his daughter and her friends were sunbathing at the family's pool. "They reported that I had young women in bikinis at my house," he said.

Juror Grinstead pointed out that it wasn't just police that were sidetracked and focused for weeks on the wrong person. Asked who also was on the wrong track, she told reporters, "You all."

Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy Lanier defended authorities' handling of the case Monday afternoon, saying it sometimes takes time to find evidence and suspects. The U.S. attorney's office in the District of Columbia recently opened a "cold case" unit, which Machen credited for leading to four convictions in the past year for murders that dated back as far as 20 years.

"It's not like it is on TV. Cases can be very complicated," said Lanier, who became chief in 2007. "You never give up, regardless of criticism, regardless of mistakes. And I think that's what happened in this case."

(Update 2-15-11) On Friday February 11, Guandique was sentenced to 60 years imprisonment for the Levy slaying. Judge Gerald I. Fisher presided over the trial and its conclusion. Prosecutors asked for life without parole - the defense asked for 60 years. Guandique will serve 85% or 51 years before becoming eligible for early release.

Judge Fisaher called the Levy slaying "a truly horrible crime" and Guandique a "dangerous person...Dangerous to women, in particular. And will be a danger for some time. He's a sexual predator. Nobody else should be at the mercy of Mr. Guandique like Ms. Levy."

Fisher acknowledged that the prosecution's case "wasn't a very strong" one - and was based on circumstantial evidence. Fisher said the strongest evidence linking Guandique to Levy's death included Guandique's previous attacks on two female joggers, testimony from witnesses who placed Guandique in the park at the time Levy disappeared and the testimony of Guandique's cellmate, Armando Morales, who said Guandique admitted to him that he killed Levy in the park.

Before sentencing, the victim's mother, Susan Levy, spoke to Guandique directly. "Because of you, young man, you have caused us to live a Holocaust again...You have sentenced our entire family to days of sadness, tears and heartache. You are a hideous creature."

"How could you take my daughter's life? Did you really take her life? Look me in my eyes and tell me."

Before Fisher issued his decision, Guandique stood up, paused, wiped his eyes and addressed the Levy family. It was the first time he had spoken at length in court since being charged in 2009.

"I am sorry for what happened to your daughter," he said through an interpreter. "But I had nothing to do with it. I am innocent."

This view was the continuation of a view Guandique has held since a January 22 letter to the Washington Post. It goes, "Everything about this case was a stupid, comedic farce that the detectives and prosecutors have engaged in," Guandique wrote. "I know there are people who believe in my innocence and to those people who believe in my innocence I say you are not mistaken, because I am innocent."

On a Valentine's Day 2011 interview with anchor Chris Wragge of the CBS Early Morning Show, Susan Levy said that "I always have that 5 percent not being sure. Ninety-five percent I like to believe that the Justice Department is accurate. But there is that 5 percent...But they proved in court. It's circumstantial. Not substantial, but circumstantial evidence that he was involved."

Wragge later asked, "I know there's no sense of closure but is there any sense of peace that you can think of?" "There's no closure, that's for buildings," Susan Levy said. "You have a daughter that's tragically dead, there's never a sense of peace."

"There's 1,318,345 violent crimes committed in 2009 - one murder every three minutes, one violent crime every six seconds, one rape and assault every two minutes. 5.2 million crimes were reported 2007. On average 15,000 to 17,000 people are killed every year since 2000. That's more than what is killed, unfortunately, in Afghanistan. This is pervasive, and one of the leading psychological problems in America, leading to post-traumatic stress disorder. We live in a very violent society, and our most important resources are our children and our family, and we need to do something about this problem."

Lawrence, MA police officer sent away for 10-12 years for raping mother of two on duty

A former Lawrence, MA police officer was sentenced to 10-12 years imprisonment for raping a young mother of two who was drunkenly celebrating her 24th birthday. Sentencing took place on February 3, 2011 in Newburyport District Court by Judge Richard Welch.

Kevin Sledge Sr, 48, of Salem, NH, was also ordered to stay away from the victim, her family and her friend Regina Perry, undergo sex offender treatment, register as a sex offender, and serve 5 years of probation after leaving prison. Judge Welch said that while Sledge's family said that he was a supportive father and nephew, he was "a man who committed rape and indecent assault and battery," taking advantage of a woman who "was drunk as can be." The official charges a jury convicted Sledge of were three counts of indecent assault and battery and a single rape count.

He said he was trying to help the victim, who told him she was stranded and abandoned in downtown Lawrence that night. He said she asked him for a ride home to Nashua, N.H. He told her he could drive her to the police station.

When she refused to go into the police station lobby and wait for Perry there, Sledge said he allowed the woman to wait in his car parked out back. The victim says after she was picked up by Sledge, he drove her to the police station where he was on duty. She said he returned to his car several times to rape and assault her.

Sledge, a police officer for 17 years, raped and repeatedly assaulted the woman in his personal car, a silver Jaguar he parked behind the police station on Sept. 26, 2008. Sledge was assigned to the booking room and repeatedly left his post to go to his car to rape and fondle the woman. When arrested, he was immediately suspended from the department and stripped of his paycheck once indicted.

The trial was Sledge's second trial - the first trial ended in a mistrial. Prosecutor Kate MacDougall asked for a 12-15 years sentencing, citing the "sacred trust" Sledge violated and that he used his police officer status to facilitate "disgraceful and shameful behavior." MacDougall read a victim impact statement from the victim. The statement said that the attack affected her parenting ability. Her son missed school because she was too scared to walk his to school. She eventually sucummbed to depression, and was evicted from her apartment and ended up with her children in homeless shelters. 

"Every time, I (saw) a silver car, I put my head down and my heart would pound hoping it wasn't him," "Never would I have thought trusting a police officer was gonna end in a disaster," she said. "I thought I had no chance going up against a cop, but I did it anyways."

Defense attorney John Morris asked Welch to impose a 3- to 5-year prison sentence, pointing to the many letters of support Sledge's extended family had written on his behalf to Welch. Morris read a letter in court from Kevin Sledge Jr., Sledge's 21-year-old son, who is a sophomore in college. Sledge Jr. described his father as his best friend and a person who loves him unconditionally. He also said he was disappointed by his dad's choices. "I cannot imagine what my life would be like without him. He taught me to be a hard worker ... to never quit," Sledge Jr. wrote. "I am proud to call him my dad."

Morris also said Sledge suffers from congestive heart failure, a condition he was diagnosed with in August. In addition to heart valve and blood flow problems, Sledge also has a herniated disk in his back and nerve damage that resulted from a cruiser accident he was involved in as a police officer, Morris said.

Judge Welsh told the victim, "You displayed remarkable courage when you testified...Hopefully you can build on that." Shawn Sledge, 40, the perpetrator's nephew, said "[The sentence is] somewhat harsh ... I do understand the judge's comments that he was a police officer and a protector of the law. I understand the decision he made, even though I don't think it's the right one."

Father of four sent away for life for raping woman he met on sugar daddy website

A man who lured a 22 year old woman he met on a sugar daddy website into rape was sentenced to life without parole by Orange Circuit Judge Walter Komanski Wednesday, February 9. Father of four Marcelo Augusto Alves misrepresented himself as Mark Garcia, even using a fake picture, and communicated with the 22 year old Tampa victim before arranging a meeting with her in the Dr. Phillips area of Orlando outside of a multimillion dollar home March 2009.

 "He was wearing a mask and had a knife in his hand and tackled her to the ground and he raped her," said Assistant State Attorney Kelly Hicks. The mask was pantyhose over his face. Alves put a knife to the victim's throat and tackled her to the ground before raping her.  Alves was charged with, then convicted for four counts of sexual battery. His attorney argued that only one act of rape occured, but Alves was convicted on all four counts.

In the victim impact statement, read by Hicks, she said, "I trusted him as Mark and didn't think something like this could have happened...Marcelo royally screwed me up...Now I understand the term, 'sexual predator.'" "He is a monster who deserves to go away for the rest of his life," Hicks said.

Suburban St. Louis police officer sentenced to 25 years for forcing women into sex acts

A former Uplands Park, MO police officer was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for raping and robbing prostitutes. One attack occurred at his own police station. 32 year old Leon Pullen of Foley, MO was sentenced in a St. Louis federal court Friday, January 28 to the 300 month sentence after pleading guilty to nine federal felonies.

These felonies included conspiracy, deprivation of civil rights, witness tampering, and lying to the FBI. Federal prosecutors dropped ten other charges after Pullen pled guilty July 28, 2010. Pullen faced a sentence of 18 1/2 to 25 years of federal confinement.

Pullen's MO was to respond to online escort ads, then after the women responded, he would identify himself as a police officer, pull out his gun, then force the victims to perform sex acts on him. Two of the victims were forced into sex at gunpoint. Pullen was arrested by the FBI on Saturday, September 19, 2009.

The affidavit goes on to say that Pullen called the woman, said his name was "Jimmy," and agreed to pay $400 for a sexual act and that he had her and another woman meet him in Uplands Park on July 15, 2009.

At the meeting, the affidavit said, Pullen rubbed himself against one woman and told her that she had two choices: to give him all her money or get naked, LaCombe wrote. Another officer was present, [FBI special agent Greg]LaCombe wrote, but that officer is not named in the complaint.

Pullen then ordered her and the other woman back in their car and told them to follow him to the police station, where he took the victim to an office in the rear of the station, forced her to undress and then forcibly performed oral sex on her.

The woman, afraid that Pullen would call in the other officer to have sex with her, tried to end the attack by offering to meet Pullen later, LaCombe wrote. Pullen gave her his contact information, and then she left, later calling the FBI.

The victim of that encounter, identified as D.S., gave a victim impact statement and said the sexual assault left her with PTSD and a back injury. "I've always considered myself a very strong woman until that day," she said. The attack had also affected her ability to parent her four children.

Judge Rodney Sippel gave Pullen the 25 year sentence, stating "[People] trust law enforcement to make sure they're safe," Sippel said. "For law enforcement to turn on them and take from them that sense of safety . . . it's hard to comprehend." Pullen was also ordered to pay thousands of dollars in restitution, with the exact amount being disputed.

The second officer in the federal complaint, Justin Biancardi, plead guilty in St. Louis federal court Monday, January 10, 2011 to shaking down over a dozen prostitutes for money. Biancardi, who cooperated with the feds, faces a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced April 13.

Lake Forest, CA man convicted of raping 5 women faces life imprisonment

A Lake Forest, CA man was convicted of raping 5 Orange County women and sexually assaulting a sixth on Wednesday February 2, according to the Orange County District Attorney's office. 32 year old Sekayi Rudo White was found guilty of 14 counts of rape, sexual assault, making criminal threats, and burglary. White faces a maximum sentence of 119 years to life when he is sentenced April 15, 2011.

[White's] 14 felony counts includ[ed] attempted rape and forcible rape for Jane Doe No. 1; assault with the intent to commit rape, sexual battery by restraint and criminal threats for Jane Doe No. 2; forcible rape and dissuading a witness by force for Jane Doe No. 3; first-degree residential burglary of an inhabited dwelling and two counts of forcible rape for Jane Doe No. 4; forcible rape, criminal threats and first-degree residential burglary of an inhabited dwelling for Jane Doe No. 5; and forcible rape for Jane Doe No. 6.

He has also been slapped with sentencing enhancements and allegations for sexual crimes against multiple victims, rape with the use of a deadly weapon, rape in the commission of a burglary, non-accomplice present during a residential burglary, personal use of a deadly weapon, use of a deadly weapon during a sexual offense, being armed with a deadly weapon during a sexual offense, and crime-bail-crime (which means he allegedly committed a crime while out of custody on bail for another criminal case).

The attacks started in late summer 2002, when White raped a 22 year old passed out woman (Jane Doe 6)at a Santa Ana hotel. The woman woke up while White was raping her, and could not remember drinking alcohol or entering the hotel room. After the attack,  Afterwards, White harassed her at home and work.

In December 2005, White met a 44 year old woman (Jane Doe 1) at an Irvine, CA bar and drove the woman to her home in Newport Beach. He used the ruse of asking to use the bathroom to emerge naked with an erect peniswhile he tried to remove her pants as he was pinning her down. White threatened to kill her if she told about the attack.That victim successfully fought him off. In August 2006, he picked up a 22 year old woman (Jane Doe 2) at a Huntington Beach bar, bringing her back to his home where he raped her.

White was indicted for the three assaults on September 2006. Even though he was held on $250,000 bail, he made bond, and raped three more women between January and April 2007, when he was arrested again and held without bond.

Jane Doe No. 3

On March 31, 2007, White is accused of going to a bar in Lake Forest, where 28-year-old Jane Doe No. 3 was celebrating her birthday. The victim had met the defendant a few months prior. At approximately 2:30 a.m. on April 1, 2007, Jane Doe No. 3 was dropped off at home by a friend. White is accused of showing up at the victim's home and knocking on her door. The victim, who was intoxicated due to alcohol consumption, opened the door, and White is accused of entering. Jane Doe No. 3 passed out in her bed. When the victim woke up, White is accused of forcibly raping her as she struggled and told him to stop. The victim punched White in the face and was able to get up and attempt to call 911. White is accused of following Jane Doe No. 3 and stopping her from calling the police. The victim ran outside and called 911 from a neighbor's home.

The defendant was re-arrested and charged April 4, 2007, with the rape of Jane Doe No. 3. The Orange County district attorney's office issued a press release about White that day, and several media publicized the case. As a result of the media coverage, three additional victims who had previously been frightened to report the crimes against them came forward to police.

Jane Doe No. 4

Jane Doe No. 4 met and began dating White in 2006 when she was 22 years old. In February 2007, White is accused of beginning to send threatening messages to the victim and spying on her by peering through the blinds into her home. On Feb. 21, 2007, White is accused of breaking into Jane Doe No. 4's home when she was alone, pushing the victim to the ground, and stepping on her chest as he removed her pants and panties. He is accused of forcibly raping the victim as he held a large hunting knife to her neck.

Jane Doe No. 5

Jane Doe No. 5 was renting a room from Jane Doe No. 4. The victim frequently locked her bedroom door using an eye-hook because she had seen White in the apartment before and was alarmed by his aggressive behavior toward her roommate. One night in January 2007, Jane Doe No. 5 locked her bedroom door and went to sleep. White is accused of breaking the lock off the door, entering the bedroom and forcibly raping Jane Doe No. 5. He is accused of threatening to kill her if she reported the rape.

Hopefully, White will get the maximum sentence for his crimes. This will insure that women in bars will not have to put up with White's lures and violence again.

Teenage rapist sentenced to 75 to life for attack on woman

A teenage rapist who attacked a 40 year old woman was sentenced to 75 years to life in a Denver, CO courtroom Wednesday, February 3. Shakiel Madden-Vaughn, who was 16 when he attacked a 40 year old woman who was walking home from a light rail station on January 24, 2009, was convicted by a jury of attempted 1st degree murder, two counts of sexual assault, 1st degree assault, and aggravated robbery for the attack. Madden-Vaughn raped the 40 year old victim, beat her with a baseball bat, then stole her purse.

Madden-Vaughn, who turned 18 the day before Halloween last year, faces charges of fondling a 12 year old girl on a playground January 19, 2009 and hitting a 68 year old woman with a brick. Chief Deputy DA Joseph Morales and Deputy District Attorney P.J. Loew prosecuted the case.

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."

Sushi chef serial rapist gets 40 years with 34 to serve

A former sushi chef who was convicted of raping women in the Miami and Miami Beach areas was sentenced to 40 years imprisonment with at least 34 to serve by a Miami Dade court Monday, November 1. 31 year old Arturo Ortiz-Soto plead guilty to 2 counts of rape and two counts of attempted rape under Judge Ellen Sue Venzer, sparinig himself a maximum sentence of 140 years.

Ortiz-Soto worked as a sushi chef at various Miami Beach restaurants, the last a rooftop sushi bar at the Gansevoort South Hotel. His spree included:

• Raping a woman he met outside Jerry's Famous Deli in November 2006. Claiming he owned his own sushi restaurant, Ortiz-Soto bought her a calzone then lured her to an alleyway off 14th Street and Collins Avenue.

• Raping a woman in an alley off Collins Avenue and Ninth Street. Ortiz-Soto spied her leaving Mango's Tropical Cafe and lured her into the alley by promising to sell her marijuana. ``Forgive me, I'm sorry,'' he told the woman after the attack, before running off.

• Attempting to rape a woman he met at The Office bar in September 2007. He brutally beat her in an alley off Fourth Street -- after offering her pizza -- but the woman was able to break free.

• Trying to rape a woman in an alley off Collins Avenue and 14th Street in July 2008. He punched the woman several times but was scared off by the screams of a passerby.

After the last attack, police officers saw Ortiz-Soto jump into a taxi with blood covered clothes, and surveillance cameras captured him to the act. According to prosecutor Ivonne Sanchez-Ledo, the perp left DNA evidence in the two rape cases. Ortiz-Soto confessed to the crimes after his arrest. Sanchez-Ledio and defense attorney Christopher DeCoste agreed to a three decade sentence, but Judge Venzer rejected that sentence as being too lenient., leading to the 40 year plea bargain. "You have irreparably changed the lives of your victims by your behavior.I do believe this sentence will sufficiently guarantee you do no more harm to our citizens.''

Bay Area serial rapist gets life for attacking four women

A Richmond, California man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for a rape spree committed against four women between 2007 and 2009 in his hometown and the nearby city of Oakland. Michael Edward Stevens, 30, was sentenced to 165 to life for 15 felonies and 2 misdemeanors. His conviction took place in July, and the sentencing took place Friday, November 5, presided over by Contra Costa County Superior Judge Laurel Brady. Crimes which merited the lifelong sentence included rape, rape in concert, various other sex crimes, false imprisonment and robbery.

Prosecutor Dana Filkowski argued at trial that Stevens is a serial rapist who took sexual pleasure in terrorizing the victims -- some of them prostitutes -- by using a gun and pretending to be an off-duty police officer after sweet-talking them into his car.

One of the victims was a deaf-mute homeless woman who testified Stevens kidnapped her off the street. Another said Stevens left her naked on the side of a road, after which she cloaked herself in a garbage bag and huddled in a portable toilet while she waited for police.

One woman said she was gang-raped by Stevens and a second man who had been hiding in Stevens' trunk when she first got into the vehicle. The second assailant was recently identified at Stevens' nephew, who was 14 when the New Year's Eve 2008 attack occurred.

The nephew, Frank Stevens Dean, now 16, is currently jailed in another county for an unrelated matter, Filkowski said. Once that case is resolved, he will be brought to Contra Costa County, where he has been charged as adult with six felonies, including rape and firearm enhancements.

One of Stevens’ victims said, ”I thank God that the victims are alive, and myself," she said. "I am happy to never see his face again." As for Stevens, just before sentencing, he said, "Murder me today, see me tomorrow... if not in this life, the next." Stevens said. "I assume that's not a threat," Brady said. "That's a promise," he replied.

Seattle serial rapist faces, gets mandatory life without parole sentence for rapes of homeless women

(Original Post 9-20-10)

A serial rapist who was convicted for attacks on two homeless women will be sentenced to life without parole after a Seattle jury convicted him of 2 counts of 2nd degree rape Thursday, September 16. The life sentence which 51 year old Frank Borders will serve upon his sentencing is a consequence of Washington State's three strikes law, which mandated the sentence for a third strike.

The first rape was reported in December 2007, when a 55-year-old woman said Borders, her boyfriend's brother, raped her in the restroom at a downtown Seattle park. The investigation stalled, however, when the victim, who was homeless, disappeared for several months.

After the woman agreed to be interviewed by police the next October, Seattle police began posting fliers with Borders' photo at several downtown homeless shelters in search of other possible victims, according to the court documents.

On March 17, 2009, the day after a flier was posted at a YWCA shelter downtown, police were called by a woman who claimed Borders lured her into the woods with the promise they would smoke crack and assaulted her, court papers said.

The second victim testified during both trials that she didn't come forward earlier because she was convinced that nobody would care about what happened to her because she was homeless during the summer of 2007. She is now 48, off drugs and living in an apartment.

Senior Deputy Prosecutor Julie Kays said that due to Borders' 1981 rape conviction of attacking a 18 year old woman for which he served a year in jail and 5 years probation, life without parole is mandatory. "These 12 people protected our community and our very vulnerable by finding him guilty. I have no doubt that if he were released he would re-offend. These 12 people got it that it doesn't matter if you're homeless and an addict you will still get justice."

Borders' attorney, Julie Gaisford, begged to differ, citing the fact that one of the victims was high on crack cocaine and that other did not reliably identify her client. "You glimpse truth over your shoulder, you never see it head on."

(Update 11-4-10) Borders was formally sentenced Friday, October 29, to life without parole by Superior Court Judge Helen Halpert. Before sentencing, Kays said that for targeting vulnerable women, "He preyed on vulnerable women and he banked on the fact no one would care if they came forward.He deserves, based on his conduct alone, to spend the rest of his life in prison."

One of Borders' victims said that the sentencing itself showed that at least in some cases, the justice system does work for vulnerable victims. That victim said that because of Borders' imprisonment,  "I do matter.It's a shame he's thrown away his life. I'm trying to rebuild mine." That victim is no longer homeless.

Jealous northern England man sentenced to life without parole for at least 30 years for murder of nurse

By Peter Magill [Burnley chief reporter]

FORMER ambulance technician who murdered his ex-girlfriend while on bail for her rape was jailed for a minimum of 30 years today. Ambulance technician and bouncer Jonathan Vass, 30, launched a frenzied knife attack on nurse and mother-of-one Jane Clough, 26, as she arrived for work at Blackpool Victoria Hospital in July. She was admitted to the hospital’s accident and emergency unit where she worked as colleagues tried in vain to save her.

Vass, described as “manipulative and controlling”, was freed to kill after being given bail while awaiting trial over allegations that he had repeatedly raped her. The rape charges were dropped after the murder. John and Penny Clough, her parents, were angered by both decisions - first to free him and then to let the rape charges lie on file. They sat in the public gallery just yards from Vass in the dock as he was jailed for life at Preston Crown Court after pleading guilty to murder at an earlier hearing.

Judge Anthony Russell QC handed down the mandatory life sentence before telling Vass he will serve a minimum of 30 years before he can be considered for release. Vass wept uncontrollably, covering his face his hands as he was told he would only be eligible for parole in 2040.

The victim’s parents and family wept and hugged each other as the court heard for the first time that, after stabbing and slashing Miss Clough with a 3in (7.6cm) blade, he walked away momentarily, then went back seconds later to finish her off.

”As she lay bleeding you walked away but then returned and slowly, deliberately and cold-bloodedly slit her throat,” Judge Russell said as he passed sentence. ”It is difficult to imagine a more horrific crime than this murder. Furthermore it was a crime motivated by real hatred and revenge. This was a deliberate, brutal and callous murder for which you have shown no remorse and no care for your own daughter. Jane Clough was a nurse who devoted her life to the care of others. She had the misfortune to become involved with you. She bore your child and then you murdered her, leaving your infant child without a mother and with the prospect of growing up to learn one day that her father murdered her mother.”

The court heard that Miss Clough kept a diary, detailing her abuse and fears of Vass and what he might do.

She and her family, who held a protest outside court before the case began this morning, were “rocked and devastated” when he was bailed on the rape charges, leaving Miss Clough “extremely concerned for her safety”.  She left home to live with her parents and recorded in her diary that she was worried “Johnny was going to do something stupid”.

He had been relying on her to drop the charges.

Another entry read of fears he would “get his revenge”, adding: “What’s he going to do?”

Dennis Watson QC, prosecuting, said it was clear the motive for the murder was to prevent Miss Clough giving evidence. Mr Watson said the couple met while both working at the hospital but their relationship was troubled because of Vass.

”He was a jealous man who wished to dominate and have complete control over Jane despite the fact that, unknown to her, he was carrying on a relationship with two other women at the same time,” Mr Watson told the court. By early 2009 Miss Clough was pregnant but Vass had become controlling and “sexually demanding”.

In November that year she plucked up courage to report him to police, telling officers of the months of physical and sexual abuse and the repeated rapes even when she was seven months pregnant.

Text messages between the pair were read out.

Miss Clough sent him a message saying: “You have hurt, raped and reduced me to tears on countless occasions... and you want to get engaged and have more kids? Why?” He replied: “We are staying together regardless of our problems.” A second text read: “Why should you come back? To push me about, grab me, rip my clothes off, make me cry...” Another said: “You physically and sexually abuse me. You threatened to kill me the other night.”

Vass’s replies read: “Please can I come home... best behaviour promise”, and “I do love you Janey. Either get pregnant or engaged. Your choice.”

Vass was charged with nine rapes and assault in November 2009 and told a work colleague, an ex-boyfriend of Miss Clough, if he was found guilty he would kill her - but the threat was dismissed as “bravado”. When it became clear she was prepared to give evidence in court Vass decided to take “retribution”, the court heard.