2-26-2010 Alabama:MOBILE, Alabama - Sources tell News 5, the former Chickasaw Police Officer facing life in prison for raping his young step-daughter has committed suicide.
Bob Ingle, 51, was supposed to be sentenced tomorrow.
Ingle's step-daughter, Rebecca McEvoy was killed in an unrelated car crash one year after she told her best friend about the alleged abuse.
Ingle was arrested in December 2006. He fought to get the charges dropped based on what his attorneys argued was his constitutional right to confront his accuser.
The case faced six delays as the judge and attorneys sorted out what evidence would be allowed.
He was finally convicted last month. ..Source.. byWKRG Staff
Former Officer Found Guilty
1-27-2010 Alabama:
MOBILE, Alabama - A former Chickasaw Police Officer has been convicted of rape, sodomy and sex abuse.. Bob Ingle was accused of raping his step-daughter, Rebecca McEvoy.
It only took the jury a few hours to come back with the guilty verdicts.
McEvoy, who was ten years old when she told her best friend she had been abused by her stepfather, was killed in an unrelated car crash in January 2008. Since her death, Ingle's attorneys have fought to have the case dismissed based on what they say is his constitutional right to confront his accuser.
The trial, which has been delayed at least six times over the past two years, began with Assistant District Attorney Ella Byrd telling jurors they would hear the words of Rebecca through the testimony of her friend, her sister, a doctor and a nurse.
During his opening statement, defense attorney Michael Harbin repeatedly reminded jurors Ingle is presumed innocent. The soft-spoken attorney read his opening statement from behind a podium saying prosecutors have to prove their case with "hard, believable, credible evidence." "Don't convict on suspicion. Don't convict on emotion," said Harbin.
Circuit Court Judge Michael Youngpeter granted a motion to suppress testimony in the trial, not allowing testimony about what Rebecca said during the evidence gathering process. "This case is a little different than other cases like this," said Byrd, who told reporters outside the courtroom that the restrictions on the evidence made this case particularly challenging.
Everyone, except the attorneys, jurors and court staff, were asked to leave the courtroom during the testimony of Rebecca's young friend. Byrd told reporters the judge's decision to vacate the courtroom was based on the age of the witness.
The most emotional testimony of the day came from Rebecca's sister, Nina Tucker, who testified in December 2006 Rebecca also told her about the rape. Tucker, 25, said while Rebecca was riding with her in the car, Rebecca told her something bad had happened. Tucker testified Rebecca did not want to tell her exactly what happened because she didn't want to say a "bad word." Tucker testified she then gaver her sister a piece of paper and a pen and Rebecca agreed to write what happened. She wrote the word "sex," according to Tucker's testimony.
Tucker, who fought back tears throughout her testimony, said the next day she took Rebecca to USA Children's and Women's to be examined by a doctor and a nurse. At the hospital, Tucker says Rebecca was given a drawing of the human body, and she was asked to show the doctor where she was touched.
Byrd also asked Tucker about her relationship with a boyfriend she met on the Internet. Tucker testified she bought Daniel Watts, who lived in California, a plane ticket to fly to Alabama. Tucker acknowledged Watts had committed an "unregisterable sex offense" involving a 16 year old girl when he was 19, but she said Rebecca was never left alone with him.
Tucker, who mentioned during her testimony that she was also sexually abused as a child, answered questions about the abuse on cross-examination. Harbin asked Tucker if the abuse she suffered was similar to the abuse she alleges her sister endured. Tucker said it was not. Tucker testified there was not "penetration" in her own abuse.
Dr. James Hanley, the doctor who examined Rebecca, testified the child had "healing abrasions" in her private area. Dr. Hanley, who said DNA was not collected because Rebecca said the abuse happened more than 72 hours previously, testified the injuries were consistent with penetration and sexual abuse. On cross examination, Hanley acknowledged the injury could have been caused by an object, but he said it was not likely.
Rebecca's biological father, her mother and Sgt. Leroy Smith of the Saraland Police Department also took the stand Tuesday.
Before the trial began Tuesday, Bob Ingle, who faces life in prison if he's convicted, turned down a plea deal, but prosecutors would not disclose the terms of the deal. ..Source.. by WKRG Staff
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