UPDATE: Levi Canterbury, 23, was found guilty on two counts of raping an Ohio University student in September 2011, according to a news release.
After two days of deliberation, jurors reached a verdict Wednesday morning at approximately 10:45 a.m.
Every now and then, judges come across defendants who change their stories during their testimonies in a trial.
Levi Canterbury, 23, of Gallipolis, was accused of raping an Ohio University student in 2011. After denying to OUPD during questioning that he had had sex with the woman, he told the court on the witness stand Monday that he did have sexual relations with her.
According to Canterbury, the woman not only gave consent, but she initiated it.
He has, however, always admitted that he picked the woman up to give her a ride home.
Canterbury admitted he picked the lost, apparently drunk student up along Ohio Rt. 82 on Sept. 10, 2011, drove her to a lit parking lot, raped her and dropped her off near the College Gate, according to court documents.
A DNA test identified Canterbury’s semen in the woman’s panties. She was also reportedly bleeding supposedly as a result of rape.
Canterbury noticed the blood as she exited the car and called 9-1-1 to report the intoxicated woman, according to a previous Postarticle.
“(However), the investigation (by OUPD) is not yet a public record, so we can't release any statements or interviews (from Canterbury),” OUPD Chief Andrew Powers said in an email. “Once the case is disposed of in Court and the jury renders a verdict, the entire case file becomes public record.”
Before dropping the woman off, Canterbury had stopped multiple times, including a place near Parks Hall, where the sexual encounter allegedly took place.
According to a previous Postarticle, Canterbury was placed on a $200,000 bond in the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail since his arrest on Oct. 11, 2011.
Canterbury could face a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine up to $40,000 if convicted, according to the Ohio Revised Code.
kf398711@ohiou.edu
