Trigger Warning: Rape, Domestic Violence
Jury Convicts Man of Assaulting, Raping Woman With Whom He Was in a Relationship in 2023
NORFOLK, Va. – A jury convicted Daniel Kentrell Lee, 37, on Monday of assaulting and raping a woman whom Mr. Lee was in a relationship and lived with last year.
Mr. Lee and the woman were homeless and had been sharing a dwelling for about two months before the incident. On the evening of Oct. 2, Mr. Lee strangled the woman and raped her. The woman reported the rape to Norfolk Police the following day and informed officers that Mr. Lee had been verbally and physically abusive to her in the time leading up to the incident. Officers secured charges against Mr. Lee and later arrested him for felony strangulation and rape. Subsequent forensic testing confirmed Mr. Lee as the match to the sperm DNA profile collected from the woman during her sexual assault examination.
On Monday, Mr. Lee stood trial for rape and strangulation. After about an hour of deliberations, the jury found Mr. Lee guilty of rape and a lesser-included charge of misdemeanor assault and battery. Mr. Lee is set for sentencing before Judge David W. Lannetti on July 12.
“Poverty and desperation greatly increase a person’s chance of being the victim of a violent crime,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “I am grateful to the survivor of Mr. Lee’s crime for her courage and strength in coming forward, reporting her crime, and testifying so that we could hold Mr. Lee accountable and to ensure that he will serve a prison sentence fitting to his crime.”
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Keith M. Proctor is prosecuting Mr. Lee’s case on behalf of the Commonwealth, and Norfolk Police Detective Stephanie J. Lupo led the investigation.
If you have or someone you love has fallen victim to crime, including but not limited to sexual abuse, resources are available at the Norfolk Family Justice Center. For more information, please visit norfolkfjc.org, call 757-330-0376 or stop by the NFJC inside the Park Place Multi-Services Center at 606 W. 29th St., between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays. If you are in crisis, call the 24/7 hotline by dialing 757-251-0144. In an emergency, please call 911.
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