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Alleged East Coast Rapist's Plea Deal Is Off
Suspect tells judge he's 'not sure' about pleading guilty
The man accused in series of rapes along East Coast has backed out of plea deal, telling a judge he wasn't sure he knew what he was doing, according to the Associated Press.
Aaron Thomas of New Haven, Conn. has been accused of a series of rapes and assaults of women along the East Coast. He was expected to plead guilty for the first time to one of those attacks in a Prince William County court today. But the deal was called off when Thomas revealed hesitation at his plea hearing this morning, the AP reports.
Thomas' jury trial is now scheduled for Jan. 14.
This morning's hearing dealt with charges filed against Thomas from 2009. He was charged with abducting three teenage trick-or-treaters in 2009 and raping two of them.
Those assaults were the last of 17 that authorities attributed to the East Coast Rapist, who was linked through DNA and other evidence to 17 assaults and rapes on women going as far back as 1997.
Thomas was arrested in March 2011. His lawyers had been pursuing an insanity defense before dropping those plans and scheduling Tuesday's plea hearing.
NPR
Book News: Lydia Davis Wins Man Booker International Prize
Also: Amazon to begin publishing fan fiction; Paul Ryan and Elizabeth Warren are writing books; Keith Richards' exorbitant library fines.NPR
In Raw Milk Case, Activists See Food Freedom On Trial
Activists say the case against Wisconsin dairy farmer Vernon Hershberger is about raw milk — and much more. His supporters have turned the case into a rallying cry for personal food freedom and the rights of farmers and consumers to enter into private contracts without government intervention.WAMU 88.5
Transportation Secretary Nominee Anthony Foxx Prioritizes Transportation Projects
In a Senate hearing on Wednesday, Transportation Secretary Nominee Anthony Foxx advocated for more infrastructure projects to spur economic growth.
NPR
How That 'Nigerian Email Scam' Got Started
You've probably seen it in your inbox before: Someone who claims to have come into a fortune needs your help. You can share in the profits — if you send along a deposit or your bank account number. Boston Globe correspondent Finn Brunton talks about the history of the "Nigerian prince" or "419" scam, which actually got its start long before email.Leave a Comment
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