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Jury Gives Charlie Ray Leslie 40 Years For Brutal Assault and Abduction
Victim and Witness to the Crime Testify - Justice is Served

July 30, 2008

For Immediate Release

Newport News, Virginia

 


On July 30, 2008, a Newport News jury found Charlie Ray Leslie guilty for his Christmas Day 2006 abduction and aggravated malicious wounding of his female roommate.

Testimony revealed that Leslie had become enraged over seafood and menaced the victim. Alarmed, the victim picked up a kitchen knife and declared, "You are not going to hurt me!" Rather than back off, Leslie left the room and returned with a four-foot long mason's level. When the victim turned to leave the home, Leslie struck her across the back with the level, followed her outside, and continued to strike her over and over with the level, as she lay on the sidewalk. Leslie then dragged the victim, now bleeding profusely from the head, back into the home, where he refused her pleas for an ambulance and threatened to "go ahead and kill" her.

The victim suffered a shattered ankle, broken hand, bruised ribs, bruises all over - especially on her back, and a large gash to the back of her head. The physician's assistant who treated her at the emergency room testified that normally, she could close a head wound in five minutes, but in this case, the wound was so bad that it took an hour to stop the bleeding. Since the attack, the victim has had difficulty walking and still has a plate and screws in her ankle.

The victim had bled quite a bit before a neighbor heard her pleas for help and the police and ambulance were called. Leslie left before the police arrived. Thanks to willingness of the victim and another witness on the scene to come forward, justice was served. Leslie had previously been convicted of several other serious crimes, including a prior rape and another felony assault. The case was prosecuted by Robin L. Farkas, Senior Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney, serving on the Juvenile & Domestic Relations Team.

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