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3 more counts in assaults
Direct indictments given in hotel assault caseDate published: 11/19/2008 BY ELLEN BILTZ The Spotsylvania man awaiting trial on charges that he sexually assaulted multiple motel cleaning women was directly indicted on three additional counts Monday. A Spotsylvania County grand jury directly indicted Derrick Gosnell, 25, on charges of attempted rape, assault and battery and attempted abduction with intent to defile in relation to an attack at the Heritage Inn on Sept. 7. The grand jury also returned indictments charging abduction with intent to defile, attempted rape and forcible sodomy. Those charges stemmed from an attack at the Super 8 motel Aug. 30, where Gosnell was named the suspect, and were indictments returned after Gosnell's unorthodox preliminary hearing last month. At that hearing, prosecutor Amy Harper attempted to put on evidence regarding all six of the charges, but when Gosnell, acting as his own attorney, began to question one of the women alleging the attack, she started to cry and was sent to Mary Washington Hospital with chest pains. The charges related to her allegations were not certified to the grand jury because she could not complete her testimony, the judge said at the time. Harper though, brought that evidence before the grand jury and received Monday's direct indictments. Gosnell was first charged Sept. 18 with the two Spotsylvania attacks and then was subsequently charged in Fredericksburg with the Sept. 5 sexual assault of a cleaning woman at the Best Western. He was indicted on those charges Oct. 27. At his preliminary hearing, the woman who alleged the attack at the Super 8, testified that Gosnell was the man who came into the room she was cleaning, told her to go into the bathroom and then forced her to perform oral sex on him, leaving behind biological evidence. According to a search warrant filed in Spotsylvania County, biological evidence collected was sent to a state lab to be tested. A photo taken by a security camera at one of the motels showed pictures of him leaving the building and focused in a tattoo on his right arm that authorities say matches a tattoo of Gosnell's. Gosnell, though, maintained his innocence throughout his preliminary hearing and asked multiple accusatory questions such as "Are you sure?" and "Are you telling the truth?" of the women testifying against him. Gosnell's next court date is an arraignment set for Dec. 10. It is unclear whether he has hired an attorney, or if he will represent himself in future proceedings. Ellen Biltz: 540/374-5424
Read more stories about Spotsylvania Date published: 11/19/2008
Adding insult to injury
(posted by
travelin_bone
, Nov. 19, 2008 11:17 am)
It's unfortunate that these victims have to sit there and be interrogated by, called a liar by, and further humiliated by their attacker. I hope they have the courage to see it thru to the end.
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