For eight years Alex Kelly lived in Europe, off his wealthy parent’s money, avoiding a United States trial for raping two women. On June 12th, a Connecticut jury convicted him of raping a girl over a decade ago. Kelly turned himself in to authorities in Switzerland in 1995 when authorities closed in on his location and his passport was close to expiring. A 1996 rape trial ended in a 4-2 deadlocked jury in favor of conviction.
The 1997 jury’s foreman Robert Derleth said of the conviction, “We just reviewed the evidence and the evidence spoke for itself.” The husband of the women who was raped read a statement on her behalf, “I am grateful that the jury was able to focus on the truth, and hope that what I have done will help other women who have been raped to obtain justice.” Kelly’s lawyer promised to appeal and commented, “I consider this just a chapter in this long litigation.”
Kelly could face 20 years in prison; he will be sentenced on July 24th. He also faces another trial in the case of a second woman who accused him of rape four days after the first accuser came forward.
