Alleged Murderer and Rapist Pleads Guilty

A Puerto Rican man has pleaded guilty to raping and killing a pregnant Georgia tourist whom he kidnapped along a rural island road. Eliezer Marquez Navedo pleaded guilty Tuesday to first-degree murder, kidnapping and two sexual assault charges in the Feb. 4 slaying of Sara Kuszak. He faces life in prison at a June 1 sentencing hearing. Kuszak was jogging along a remote road in eastern Puerto Rico when Marquez abducted her, stuffed her in the trunk of a car, raped her and slashed her throat. Police say he acknowledged killing her after they arrested him with bloodstains on his shirt and pants. Kuszak was about five months pregnant. She was visiting Puerto Rico with her fiance and friends.

( The Associated Pres)

DNA frees convicted rapist

A man who spent nearly three decades behind bars for a rape he didn’t commit is free today. DNA evidence cleared 48-year-old John Jerome White of the crime. White left Macon State Prison last night, 27 years after a jury in Meriwether County convicted him of sexually assaulting an elderly woman. The Georgia Innocence Project worked to clear White of the crime.

Rape suspect dies after stun gun shocks

A rape suspect is dead after deputies shocked him with a stun gun. Walton County police say they confronted 41-year-old Leroy Patterson Junior yesterday at his tractor trailer. Authorities say they shot Patterson twice with a stun gun. The deputy who used the stun gun is on paid leave pending a review by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Police chief charged with rape

A west Georgia police chief has been arrested on rape and other charges. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says Luthersville Police Chief David Yates sexually assaulted a Luthersville woman last month. They say he also illegally took her into custody under false pretenses. The GBI also charged Luthersville police officer Jason Hardagree with violating his oath of office and influencing a witness.