Mail Tribune News - Rapist faces 31 years in prison

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

2000-12-09

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Rapist faces 31 years in prison Pleads guilty to 4 assaults in Ashland, Medford Brought down by his own DNA, a suspected serial rapist faces more than 30 years in prison after he pleaded guilty Monday to four attacks on women in Ashland and Medford. Michael Brian Huyck, 34, also is accused of raping a 14-year-old girl in Klamath Falls. The balding, pony-tailed defendant kept his eyes downcast Monday as he pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree rape, three counts of first-degree sexual abuse and one count each of first-degree sodomy and sexual penetration with a foreign object. Under terms of the deal, brokered by trial judge Ray White, the former security guard agreed to Measure 11 sentences totaling 375 months in prison. White accepted the plea without comment. A sentencing date will be set after authorities complete an in-depth pre-sentence investigation. Measure 11 is the 1994 initiative that sets mandatory sentences for violent felons and juveniles age 15 and up. The law prohibits early release for any reason, including terminal illness. Huyck was arrested in January after authorities received a tip that led to his identification as the man responsible for two attacks last November and two others in January 1997. Police said Huyck�s DNA proved he was the rapist. Prosecutors said the evidence was overwhelming, allowing them to fashion an aggressive settlement that spared the victims the trauma of testifying in open court. Huyck was charged with four stranger-to-stranger attacks in Jackson County dating back to January 1997, the most recent occurring Nov. 3 in Ashland. The description of the rapist matched a Talent man who was charged in the Nov. 3 rape. Authorities dropped the charges against the man after DNA testing proved he was not the attacker. Deputy District Attorney Holly Smith said Huyck has agreed to a concurrent sentence in the Klamath Falls case, meaning the sentence would mirror the time he serves in the Jackson County cases.   Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds |  Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive  | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA