A man who sexually abused an 18-year-old relative when he was a boy was sentenced to a total of 46 years in prison Thursday by a Miller County jury.
The jury deliberated less than an hour before returning two guilty verdicts for Michael David Lee Walker, 32, on charges of rape and sexual indecency with a child. The jury assessed a 40-year term for rape and a maximum six-year term for indecency and recommended the terms run consecutively, to which Circuit Judge Carlton Jones agreed.
During the trial, members of the victim's family-his mother, brother, grandmother and aunt-testified that they support Walker. Texarkana lawyer Darren Anderson argued that the victim was angry because Walker had punched him in the face. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Connie Mitchell asked the jury why the victim would choose to take the stand in light of his family's attitude.
"This has cost him his family, his own brother threatened physical harm if he came up here. They told him he would be completely ostracized by the family if he testified," Mitchell said in closing arguments. "Why would he put himself through that if it were not true? Why?"
Anderson reminded the jury of the victim's closed demeanor while testifying.
"He couldn't look at anybody because he's lying," Anderson argued. "And even worse, he mumbled everything he said."
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kristian Young countered in her closing argument.
"Can you imagine how hard it would be to get up in front of a roomful of strangers and describe your first sexual experience?" Robertson said. "And then imagine if that experience was with your (relative). Yeah, you'd look down."
The prosecutors reminded the jury of testimony from members of law enforcement about the weeks-long manhunt launched for Walker after the allegations surfaced. Walker fled into a wooded area near mobile homes on property on Highway 267 in Doddridge, Ark., where many members of the family lived on the day a call was made to the Miller County Sheriff's Office. Walker crossed two state lines before finally being apprehended in Oklahoma six weeks later. U.S. Marshals, a number of state law enforcement agencies, police helicopters and police canines were used in the search.
"Guilty men always run," Mitchell said.
During the punishment phase of Walker's trial, the jury learned that multiple counts of rape and sexual assault are pending against Walker in connection with two other alleged victims, both of whom are female relatives. The jury heard testimony about Walker's seven prior felony convictions for offenses, including breaking and entering, theft of property and battery.
The jury was not informed that Michael Walker's wife, Sarah Walker, is currently a registered sex offender serving a seven-year term of probation for molesting the same victim Michael Walker was convicted of sexually abusing Thursday.
During the trial, witnesses testified that the victim and one of his brothers were born in foster care because their mother was a minor when they were born and had been removed from her own mother's custody. When given the option to return to his mother's custody, the victim chose to remain in foster care, where he has been since October 2015.
When the victim's grandmother stepped off the witness stand after testifying, she began to shout at Mitchell that she hadn't asked the right questions, alluding that the conduct which led to Sarah Walker's convictions led the victim to accuse Michael Walker, bringing a strong rebuke from Jones.
Michael Walker sobbed after the guilty verdicts were announced and remained tearful when he testified during the punishment phase.
"Never in my life would I have thought (slang term for sexual conduct) or anything else we played around with would lead to this," Michael Walker lamented. "Please have mercy on me."
In her cross examination, Robertson hammered Michael Walker about numerous jail phone calls he made to the victim during which he encouraged him to no-show for the trial.
"At no point did you ever tell him to come in here and just tell the truth, did you?" Robertson asked. "Because he was telling the truth, wasn't he?"
Michael Walker must serve at least 70 percent of the 40-year sentence he received for rape before becoming parole-eligible.