ASHEVILLE, NC – A North Carolina resident has been sentenced to two decades in prison following a conviction for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in his Asheville home for a span of 10 days in February 2020, as confirmed by local authorities.
The perpetrator, William Todd Murell, 58, was found guilty of first-degree rape and felony assault causing serious bodily harm by a Buncombe County jury on November 13. Despite being acquitted of a kidnapping charge, Murell is still facing similar charges in a separate case from March 2020.
District Attorney Todd Williams commended prosecutors Katie Kurdys and Stormy Ellis for their tireless efforts in seeking justice during the complex and lengthy jury trial. He noted their support of the victim, who bravely testified despite her physical limitations, was instrumental in securing the conviction.
The victim’s testimony revealed a horrifying ordeal where Murell provided her with alcohol and Trazodone, physically abused her, and raped her over a 10-day period in February 2020. Medical evidence of her injuries, including a sexual assault kit, was presented in court by Pardee Hospital staff.
Visual evidence of the victim’s traumatic brain injury, along with bruises and cigarette burns on her body, was presented in court. A toxicology report confirmed the presence of barbiturates and benzodiazepines in her system when she was admitted to the hospital.
During his sentencing, Murell expressed shock at the jury’s verdict but accepted his fate without offering an apology or expressing remorse, as per the district attorney’s office.
The victim, a former police officer and mother of three from Florida, had met Murell at a substance abuse group where she was seeking help for alcoholism. They lived near each other and often drove to meetings together. On one occasion, she accompanied Murell to his home to watch a movie, after which she remembers being abused.
The Asheville police conducted several welfare checks at Murell’s residence following multiple 911 calls, including from Murell himself, over the 10-day period of abuse. However, as the victim did not express a desire to leave or ask for help, no rescues were made.
The victim eventually managed to contact friends and escape from Murell’s residence on February 11. She was treated at Pardee Hospital, where medical staff discovered she had a potentially fatal blood alcohol level of 0.335%, a severe brain injury, and traces of barbiturates and benzodiazepines in her system, along with various cuts, burns, and bruises.
Murell’s legal team filed an appeal on November 21. The 58-year-old man is also facing charges of kidnapping and rape in a separate case from March 2020, involving another woman who managed to escape his home and call 911.