HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The jury in the trial of a 48-year-old man accused of nine felony counts including three counts of rape, two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, kidnapping, aggravated battery and criminal threat had a mixed verdict.
They found Woodson “Woody” Crable “not guilty” of all three rape charges, both aggravated criminal sodomy counts and kidnapping. They did find him “guilty” of two counts, that being domestic battery and criminal threat. The domestic battery conviction was an alternative to a charge of aggravated battery.
In the first case against Crable, the jury didn’t buy the argument that a woman was raped back on Dec. 26, 2011, however they did agree that he threatened her during the second encounter on Dec. 28, of that same year.
They also didn’t agree with the states contention that the alleged second victim had been raped on April 9 and 10 of 2014. But they did agree that Woodson had battered her.
In closings, Senior Assistant District Attorney Steve Maxwell told the jury to consider the fact that two women who didn’t know each other made very similar claims with the alleged crimes occurring two and half years apart.
Defense Attorney John Henderson noted that there was no physical evidence for the 2011 case, but lots in the 2014 case. He accused that victim of being very possessive and jealous when she allegedly found Crable with another woman. He also told the jury that the bruising on the victim didn’t match the states claim.
Friday morning, Crable took the stand and denied that any sexual contact with the women was forced or was rape. He also denied the sodomy charges and that he tried to force his girlfriend into his vehicle.
The jury didn’t reach of verdict until after 10 p.m. Friday night after receiving the case late in the day.
Sentencing for the domestic battery and criminal threat convictions will be on Aug. 28.