A jury deliberated less than an hour Thursday before returning a guilty verdict against a 53-year-old Rockdale man accused of sexually assaulting a woman while she was medicated.
Ricky Lee Murray will be sentenced next month. Assistant District Attorney Brian Price told The Reporter the 31-year-old victim killed herself three weeks after the 2017 incident in a Rockdale mobile home park.
MEDICATION—Price, who prosecuted the case, said the woman was a resident of the Rockdale Mobile Home Park on East Cameron Avenue at the time of the March, 2017, incident.
“She had been having some pretty serious back and neck pain,” Price said. “As a result she had taken some medication.”
Price said the victim was in the mobile home when the incident occurred. “We were able to show that she was in a ‘medicated state’ and was unable to adequately combat the defendant,” he said.
Price said the victim went to Little River-Rockdale Hospital emergency room for medical treatment.
“After a couple of days she began to remember what had happened,” Price said.
SUICIDE—The incident was reported and Rockdale police began an investigation.
Murray was questioned. “He told a couple of different stories,” Price said.
On March 31, 2017, Murray was arrested and charged with sexual assault. Later, he posted $25,000 bond and was released.
Around 7 p.m. April 12, 2017, police were called to the mobile home park and found the woman deceased.
At the time, then-Lt. J. D. Newlin of the Rockdale Police Department told The Reporter she had sustained one gunshot wound to the head.
He said a pistol was found at the scene. Newlin said nothing was found “to indicate anything other than a suicide,” Newlin said.
SENTENCING—Price said Murray will be sentenced in July by 20th District Judge John Young-blood after a pre-sentencing investigation. An exact date has not been set.
He said the DA’s office has not yet made a recommendation to the judge but added “we will definitely be asking for time behind bars.”
Price praised the work of the Rockdale Police Department and the medical staff at Little River-Rockdale Hospital for their assistance in the case.
“Their work in this investigation was of great help in securing this conviction in the jury trial,” he said.
Price said Murray remains free on bond until the July sentencing.
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