10:06am: Talkline with Hoppy Kercheval

Trial begins for 2014 Oak Hill rail trail rape

FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — The trial of a man accused of sexual assault, kidnapping, sexual abuse, and robbery began Tuesday morning in Fayette County.

47-year-old Thomas Gene Carter was arrested in June 2014 in connection to an incident along the White Oak Rail Trail in Oak Hill.

Carter allegedly attacked a woman along the rail trail, bound her with different kinds of rope and tape in a secluded area of the rail trail, and began to abuse her. During the struggle, the victim caught a glimpse of him, and he allegedly threatened to kill her.

These are the facts that the Fayette County Prosecutor’s Office hopes to prove during the trial.

Jury selection concluded during the afternoon session. Following the opening statements, the Prosecution called their first witness–a sheriff’s deputy.

The attack and the victim’s escape were the main focus during the deputy’s testimony. The deputy testified that the victim escaped her attacker and ran towards a church before finding safety on someone else’s doorstep. The victim was apparently completely naked, covered only by a blanket when police were able to get to her.

Though most of what she was saying was difficult to understand, she allegedly was able to identify her assailant.

All four charges could amount to decades in prison for Carter, but first degree sexual assault carries the largest penalty of the four charges–between 15 and 35 years in prison.

The trial resumes Wednesday morning.

You can read more about the original arrest here.





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