Trigger Warning: Rape, Domestic Violence
Man Sentenced to 19 Years Following Jury Convictions for Raping, Assaulting Woman With Whom He Was in a Relationship in 2023
NORFOLK, Va. – Daniel Kentrell Lee, 37, was sentenced on Friday to serve 19 years in prison after a jury convicted him earlier this year of assaulting and raping a woman with whom Mr. Lee lived and had a relationship.
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 May 6, Mr. Lee pleaded not guilty to his charges and opted to be tried by a jury, which found Mr. Lee guilty of rape and a lesser-included charge of misdemeanor assault and battery.
On Friday, Judge David W. Lannetti sentenced Mr. Lee to serve 19 years in prison, with another 12 years suspended on the conditions that Mr. Lee have no contact with the victim and complete 15 years of uniform good behavior, an indefinite period of supervised probation, all sex offender registry requirements, and any recommended psychosexual treatment.
“We are judged as a society by whether we seek justice not just for the rich and powerful but for the most downtrodden and vulnerable of our brothers and sisters,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Mr. Lee victimized someone barely getting by on the margins and for whom he supposedly cared. We have held Mr. Lee accountable, protected the community, and offered some closure for the survivor as she moves past this traumatic crime.”
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Keith M. Proctor prosecuted 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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May 9, 2024
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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