80-Year-Old Woman Testifies She Was Raped
CLINTON TWP. (WWJ) - An 80-year-old Clinton Township woman testified Monday that, at first, she thought she was dreaming when a man entered her apartment, robbed and raped her.
Through sobs and tears, the alleged victim said she was attacked on September 13 inside her apartment at Heritage Estates senior complex near 18 Mile Road and Hayes in Clinton Township.
She said the man told her he needed money for ransom for his daughter who had been kidnapped, told her to open her safe in a closet and locked her in the bathroom while he went through the jewelry, vials of pain medication and personal paperwork.
The woman testified that he then ordered her to her bedroom where he raped her as she yelled for him to take her things and leave.
"He was covering me completely and I had a pillow over my head and I was screaming, but I thought at first I was dreaming," she said. "But I screamed and he held my hands and told me to stop screaming or he would have to use this [a weapon]."
The woman said she yelled for the man to take her things and leave. When he eventually did, she screamed for help and her neighbors called police.
Harrison's attorney Richard Glanda said the armed robbery charge should be dropped.
"No weapon was ever mentioned. No weapon was ever seen ... and as far as that goes there was never an I.D. of my client," said Glanda.
Prosecutors said a tally later showed that $14,000 in jewelry was taken, along with the morphine, Dilaudid, Percocet and Oxycontin.
The 29-year-old William Porter Harrison III was arrested on September 29 after the jewelry was traded in at a local jewelry store. He has been charged with home invasion, first-degree criminal sexual conduct, armed robbery and probation violation.
At his arraignment earlier this month, Harrison broke down in tears and apologized to the judge, saying: "I don't know what I was thinking."
Police said Harrison originally confessed, but now denies any sexual assault occurred. Glanda said those statements of admission will have to be dealt with.
A Circuit Court pre-trail has been set for Nov. 7 for Harrison.
