Man to file plea in Murfreesboro rape case

Mar 17, 2015 at 02:39 pm by bryan


A Smyrna man charged with rape in a case that dates back to 2011 is expected to file a plea in a Rutherford County Circuit Courtroom on Wednesday of next week (March 25, 2015). The victim told police that she went to a local establishment and made contact with the suspect outside. She told officers...

"The white male grabbed her arm and she stated that it felt like a needle. She went on to say that she became incoherent. When she 'came to' she had no memory of anything but 'feels' something may have happened."

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The victim told police she did not know the suspect, nor could she describe what he looked like. The victim underwent a toxicology screen at the hospital after the attack. A nurse also performed a sexual assault exam. The toxicology screening revealed that she had been injected with two substances known to be used as "date rape" drugs.

With the help of the TBI, authorities were able to investigate the case and develop a suspect. 40-year old Joseph Shelton underwent DNA testing. In 2013, test came back as a match to Shelton's DNA from samples obtained by the victim in 2011. The case was later presented to the Grand Jury. As a result, Shelton, who lives on Mason Tucker Drive in Smyrna, was tracked down by Detective Tommy Roberts in 2014 and charged with a single count of rape.

Shelton will appear in a Rutherford County Circuit Courtroom on March 25, 2015. He remains behind bars under a $350,000 bond.

Source:

MPD Arrest Report #11-21050
Rutherford County Sheriff's Office

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