Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Man guilty in '01 rape - Jury takes 25 minutes to return verdict (faces possible 5-99 year sentence)
The Dallas Morning News ^ | December 5, 2002 | By JASON TRAHAN / The Dallas Morning News

Posted on 12/05/2002 3:26:47 AM PST by MeekOneGOP


Man guilty in '01 rape

Jury takes 25 minutes to return verdict

12/05/2002

By JASON TRAHAN / The Dallas Morning News

FORT WORTH - A Tarrant County jury took 25 minutes Wednesday morning to convict a Cleburne man of sexually assaulting a mother while four children slept nearby.

The jury of eight women and four men found Manuel Salamanca Jr., 31, a former hospital lab worker, guilty in the Aug. 9, 2001, attack.

A sentencing hearing, which included testimony from three other rape victims, began Wednesday in the 213th District Court. Jurors on Thursday are expected to decide on Mr. Salamanca's punishment, which ranges from five to 99 years in prison.

Also Online

Video: Melissa Tamplin reports

Mr. Salamanca, arrested May 24 in Arlington after attempting to break into a woman's home, showed no emotion as the verdict was read. His attorney, Danny Pitzer, declined to comment.

Prosecutor David Montague said he was pleased. He said Johnson County prosecutors will probably be next to try Mr. Salamanca, who has been indicted in nine attacks in Tarrant and Johnson counties.

"A couple of stacked life sentences would be good," Mr. Montague said when asked how he would like to see the cases resolved.

Prosecutors expect to put on a final witness Thursday, then allow the defense to present its sentencing-phase evidence.

Minutes after jurors rendered their verdict, prosecutors began calling other women to the stand to describe in graphic detail how they were raped.

An Arlington woman, 30, told jurors how in August 1996, a man broke out her car window with a knife then raped her on the ground.

An elementary school assistant and mother of a 14-year-old boy described how she was attacked in April 1999 by a man who surprised her in her home by putting a knife to her throat.

"I didn't think it was happening," the woman said tearfully. "I thought it was a dream."

A 30-year-old woman described a terrifying attack at her Burleson home in 2000.

She at one point testified that, "He said, 'Would you rather be murdered or raped?' I said, 'Raped.' ... I was just waiting for a knife to slash across my throat."

None of the women could identify Mr. Salamanca because they were either blindfolded or the assailant was wearing a mask, according to their testimony.

Prosecutors said that DNA evidence tied the man to the attacks.

Mr. Pitzer, the defense attorney, questioned that evidence. He said DNA is not conclusive, and he argued that labs can - and do - make mistakes.

E-mail jtrahan@dallasnews.com


Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/localnews/stories/120502dnmetsalamanca.1adc1.html


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: arlington; burleson; cleburne; rapist; rapistconvicted; texas
You heard it FIRST here on FreeRepublic.com:

Suspect in series of (Cleburne & Burleson) rapes arrested
$800,000 bail is set

1 posted on 12/05/2002 3:26:47 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Squantos; GeronL; Billie; Slyfox; San Jacinto; SpookBrat; FITZ; COB1; DainBramage; Dallas; ...
Man guilty in '01 rape - Jury takes 25 minutes to
return verdict (faces possible 5-99 year sentence)



Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my Texas ping list!. . .don't be shy.
No, you don't HAVE to be a Texan to get on this list!


2 posted on 12/05/2002 3:28:06 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ru4liberty
Your cousin should be happy to hear about this?
3 posted on 12/05/2002 3:35:40 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Comment #4 Removed by Moderator

To: MeeknMing
Too bad none of these women were armed when this POS was on his rape spree....I'd be much happier to read "Woman attacked, attempted rape suspect dies of single bullet wound."

Seeings he is heading for a jail, let me be his warden. A couple of nails through the nuts into a stump and give him a push backwards would be my first choice of working out his rehabilitation plan.

5 posted on 12/05/2002 4:31:01 AM PST by Issaquahking
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Issaquahking
Too bad none of these women were armed when this POS was on his rape spree....I'd be much happier to read "Woman attacked, attempted rape suspect dies of single bullet wound."

Why shoot just once?

6 posted on 12/05/2002 4:55:39 AM PST by Paleo Conservative
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Issaquahking
"Woman attacked, attempted rape suspect dies of single bullet wound."


I'd rather see this one:

Woman attacked, attempted rape suspect dies of multiple shotgun blasts to groin - Woman says "It seemed like it took forever for the him to bleed to death!"

7 posted on 12/05/2002 5:12:49 AM PST by Tunehead54
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: MeeknMing
Thanks for the ping, Meekie! Good news. Better news, as has been said, would have been that he was shot and killed -- much cheaper than having to house this creep in a Texas prison for who knows how long.

8 posted on 12/05/2002 7:06:36 AM PST by ru4liberty
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Tunehead54
I thought I'd try to keep it down a little, but ya your right. After 5 rounds and a body was identified the cop says so why 5 shots? Didn't want to live in fear my whole life wondering if some lib judge might send him to jail in hopes of rehabilation....Now I know he's rehabilated!
9 posted on 12/06/2002 5:34:10 AM PST by Issaquahking
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson