On Wednesday, U.S. Marshals re-apprehended Ramel Rasheed Lindsay, 35, of Garden City, after he fled on bond awaiting a jury verdict for two counts of 1st degree Criminal Sexual Conduct, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. The jury, in the 9th Circuit Court in Kalamazoo County, returned guilty verdicts Friday on both counts, for the 2006 rape of a then-13-year-old girl. Lindsay fled during the jury deliberation period, and federal authorities pursued him for six days before apprehending him Wednesday in Detroit.
In 2006 Lindsay raped the 13-year-old, whose mother reported the crime. Interviews and a medical evaluation were conducted, but no charges were brought at the time. The sex assault kit did not produce DNA evidence. The victim suffered severe emotional distress from the attack and the nonexistent prosecution of her attacker, leading her to believe her assault did not matter in the eyes of the community around her. When authorities failed to charge her rapist, the victim instead blamed herself for not having adequately defended herself.
In 2021 the Kalamazoo County Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) team contacted the victim to offer a trauma-informed and victim-centered renewed investigation of her rape. The trial began Tuesday, September 26, wherein her mother, brother, best friend, and a childhood camp roommate all testified to the dramatic impact the rape had on her personality and behavior. Trial testimony established that this experience of sexual assault at age 13 transformed the victim from a friendly, outgoing, high-achieving middle school student to an angry and withdrawn high school student who struggled academically and behaviorally. For 15 years the victim suffered nightmares of her rape and suffered from self-blame. On Friday, September 29, Lindsay was convicted by the jury on both charges of 1st degree Criminal Sexual Conduct resulting in personal injury.
“I am grateful for the continued success of our states SAKI units to convict rapists and sexual predators in difficult cold-case prosecutions,” said Nessel. “For too long this woman had to endure the emotional turmoil of justice denied, but now her courage and determination have made it possible to hold this criminal accountable for his crimes.”
“This case proves true the saying, ‘You can run but you can’t hide.’ Fifteen years after raping a teenage girl charges were brought.?Two years after that a trial was held and the defendant convicted. And now, after having fled while the jury deliberated, the defendant has been returned to custody by the U.S. Marshals,” said Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting.?“Once again the Kalamazoo SAKI team’s outstanding work has resulted in justice for the victim, and accountability and consequences for the people who make our community less safe.”
Lindsay had been free on conditions of a personal recognizance bond, issued by the District Court, since 2021 and reliably appeared for appearances before the Court for two years. He failed to appear Friday as the jury prepared to deliver its verdict. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and when Garden City Police were unable to locate the now-convicted rapist, U.S. Marshals became involved in his pursuit.
“The U.S. Marshals Service has our abundant gratitude for apprehending this violent criminal on the run,” said Nessel. “I am thankful for their service to our states public safety, and for helping us resolve this prosecution.”
After six days, Lindsay was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Service in Detroit and he is now in custody at the Kalamazoo County Jail. Sentencing is scheduled for November 6 before 9th Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Barnard, who presided over the trial. Each count of 1st degree CSC is a potential life-sentence offense.
The state’s SAKI project was established in 2016, through a legislative appropriation, to investigate and prosecute sexual assaults related to previously untested sexual assault evidence kits. The SAKI project provides sexual assault victims with the opportunity to have their case re-investigated in a comprehensive, trauma-informed manner. The Kalamazoo SAKI is a collaborative project of the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s Office and the YWCA of Kalamazoo. The Kalamazoo SAKI Team is in the process of investigating approximately 225 cold-case sexual assaults that occurred in Kalamazoo County between 1976 and 2015.
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