Suspected Serial Rapist Due In Court
DETROIT (WWJ) - His attorney says prison made him a monster. Now, the man accused of raping several women in Detroit heads to court for a crucial hearing.
Preliminary exams begin today for 31-year-old Raynard Coleman. He's charged with five of seven rapes that took place on the city's east and northeast sides since New Year's Day, as well as an attempted rape in a related case. Those are just among 30 charges, including kidnapping and robbery, that the ex-convict faces.
Speaking to reporters, his attorney, James Gaylen, Jr. said "this job's already terribly, terribly tough because of the nature of the crimes involved. If I wasn't a true professional, I'd have a very, very hard time dealing with this. I have to wear two sets of shoes. I'm a citizen, I've got family on (the) Detroit Police Department and I've got a cousin who's an investigator ... as a citizen, as a human being, these types of crimes are intolerable to me. As a defense attorney, I have a ethical obligation to do my job."
Coleman had spent the better part of half of his life in prison for attempted murder and other charges. He was just paroled in 2009 after serving 14 years for the attempted murder charge. He got out well before the end of the maximum of his sentence, but he did serve more than the minimum, so it's not certain whether he was paroled early or whether Wayne County objected to his early release.
