FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 18, 2016
Contact: Chuck Laszewski, Media Coordinator, 612-348-5580
A Hennepin County Jury took less than two hours to convict
Keith Washington of a first-degree attempted criminal sexual assault and is
expected to be sentenced to life in prison, Hennepin County Attorney Mike
Freeman announced Monday.
Washington, 39, of Minneapolis, had been convicted of a rape
in 2000. With Monday’s convictions, and the jury’s findings that he acted with
particular cruelty toward the victim, he is expected to get life in prison but
with the possibility of parole. Washington will be sentenced on May 12. In
February, a grand jury indicted Washington on 13 counts, a necessary step in
order to allow a life sentence.
The trial began a week ago and after closing arguments
Monday morning, the jury found Washington guilty of two counts of attempted
first-degree sexual conduct, two counts of attempted second-degree criminal
sexual conduct, one count of first-degree robbery and one count of first-degree
assault.
While Washington, who represented himself, argued to the
jury that the prosecutor had not proven it was him, the jury believed
otherwise. Evidence and testimony in the case convinced the jury that about
4:30 a.m. Dec. 6, Washington grabbed a woman in the 2800 block of Emerson
Avenue South as she was walking. He choked her until she passed out. Two adults
walking on 28th Street West heard the muffled screams and saw a man
on top of the victim. They asked if she was okay and Washington said “she’s
fine.” Washington pointed something at them, so they left, hid behind a car and
called police.
Washington was found a short time later and he had the
woman’s cell phone and identity card. He also had the cell phone, identity card
and a bag of groceries of another woman who told police she was choked to
unconsciousness and sexually assaulted two hours earlier and just a few blocks
away. Her case was included in the grand jury indictment, but was dropped at
the beginning of the trial because she was not available to testify.
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Look for more news on the Hennepin County Attorney's Offices website at www.hennepinattorney.org/news/news.
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