Birmingham, AL (DMN) – A man in Alabama has been given a sentence of almost 200 years in prison for the heinous crimes he committed. He kidnapped a 75-year-old woman, subjected her to sexual assault, and then left her bound in a closet.
A Birmingham NBC affiliate, WVTM, has reported that a judge has sentenced Tony White, aged 49, to a staggering 198 years in prison. This sentence comes as a result of White’s convictions for kidnapping, rape, sodomy, and burglary, all in the first degree. White admitted his guilt on July 11.
As per the report from the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, a distressing incident occurred on July 4, 2022. The victim, who had just finished grocery shopping, was approached from behind by an individual named White. Using a knife, White forcibly confined the victim in the trunk of his car. According to authorities, he proceeded to take her to a residence where he committed a heinous act of assault, restraining her with duct tape and leaving her confined in a closet.
Her family members noticed her absence when they arrived at her home in the early afternoon. Her sudden disappearance sparked a desperate search for the woman who had dedicated over thirty years of her life to volunteering with the Quad Cities Fire Department, earning her the endearing nickname of Ms. Betty.
After approximately six hours, the search came to a conclusion when they discovered the woman in White’s closet, securely tied to a chair. After a manhunt, authorities in Kentucky successfully located and apprehended White the following day, just south of Lexington.
The victim was hospitalized for a few days but managed to survive the incident. She gave her testimony during a court hearing a few weeks after the incident.
“He got on top of me,” she said in court, according to WVTM. “He raped me a couple of times. I was crying and begging, trying to get him to stop.”
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Even on a holiday, a large number of individuals participated in the search, which was referred to as the “mom” of the Quad Cities Fire Department, according to local Fox affiliate WBRC.
“For any wreck call, any medical call, any fire call, even at 75, Ms. Betty is still there,” Lt. Tim Hicks told the outlet. “If she’s not there, you can bet someone is going to ask ‘where is Ms. Betty.’”
“While no sentence can truly account for the gravity of such a heinous crime, it is the hope of the Sheriff’s Office that Tony White will never again be free in our society,” Sheriff Matthew Wade said in a statement sent to local media outlets.
Source: Law&Crime