CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, a jury found Doran Arthur Atkins, 46, guilty of first-degree rape and other offenses connected with the attack on a woman in Charlotte in 2011. The trial, which began February 11, 2013, was held in Mecklenburg County Superior Court before The Honorable Paul G. Gessner, Superior Court Judge.
Atkins was tried for 1) first-degree rape, 2) two counts of first-degree sex offense, 3) first-degree kidnapping, 4) assault by strangulation, and 5) assault on a female. The jury returned verdicts of guilty for 1) first-degree rape, 2) first-degree sex offense, 3) second-degree sex offense, 4) first-degree kidnapping, 5) assault by strangulation, and 6) assault on a female.
Judge Gessner sentenced Atkins to a total of 509-640 months in prison and ordered that, upon his release from prison, Atkins be placed on satellite-based monitoring for the rest of his life.
On February 26-27, 2011, Atkins and the victim got into an argument. They were in a dating relationship, and Atkins had accused the victim of cheating on him. Atkins pulled the victim into an alley and began beating and strangling her. He then dragged her under a bridge near uptown Charlotte, where he strangled her with a belt wrapped around her throat. When the belt broke, he strangled her with his hands. Then, Atkins sexually assaulted and raped her. Although fearful of Atkins, the victim showed bravery by testifying at trial because she did not want to see another woman hurt by Atkins.
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