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63 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, September 12, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 18, 2004 Lovelace Convicted rapist will return to Medford By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune Residents living in a quiet, upscale east Medford neighborhood surrounded by a private golf course will soon have a new neighbor, one whose name and reputation precede him. Upon his release from prison, convicted rapist Scott Alan Lovelace will return to free life on South Foothill Road east of the Rogue Valley Country Club. County parole and probation officers will go door-to-door informing residents before Lovelace’s arrival this week. He’s not only a dangerous criminal by parole officers’ estimation, he’s been classified as a predator. "He is one of the ones who will be very risky in the community," said Michael Fansler of Jackson County Community Justice. The Medford victim no longer lives in the Rogue Valley but she worries about other women and families with teenage girls. Advertisement "I’m surprised at how scared it makes me feel because I didn’t think it would," said the victim, who asked to be identified only by her first name, Marie. Lovelace, now 45, picked up Marie at a Medford nightclub on a rainy night in February 1986 and asked her if she wanted a ride to her car, which was parked at the far end of the lot. Lovelace asked Marie if they could make a quick stop at his house to check on his dog, a detour that would take her to a small trailer house off South Pacific Highway near Phoenix. Once inside the trailer, Lovelace handed Marie a drink then pinned her down on the bed and raped her. Ashamed and embarrassed at her own naivet�, Marie, then 25, didn’t report the rape to police, wondering if Lovelace had just gotten the wrong impression of her. She came forward only when she heard Lovelace had assaulted someone else. Her embarrassment turned to guilt when she realized that reporting her rape might have prevented a Gresham woman’s trauma. "This wasn’t a single mistake; it was obviously a pattern," she said. About a month after raping Marie, Lovelace held a 36-year-old woman at knifepoint in Multnomah County while trying to sexually assault her in his car. She escaped by jumping from the moving vehicle. Lovelace was convicted of both crimes — first-degree rape in Jackson County and second-degree assault in Multnomah County. Termed a "dangerous offender," Lovelace was ordered to spend 30 years in prison. He appealed the sentence in 2001, and it was reduced — when he is released this week he will have served 17 years. The court also reclassified Lovelace as a "non-dangerous offender." However, reports from the Oregon Parole Board indicate that Lovelace’s dangerous psychological tendencies have not changed since the time of his conviction. His "severe emotional disturbance," in fact, makes him a danger to the health or safety of the community, reports indicate. His release date was put off in 1998 and again in 2001. "We can just conclude that he hasn’t really changed," said parole board Chairman Michael Washington. The parole board hasn’t run out of reasons to prevent Lovelace’s release. They’ve just run out of time. With "good time" credit, Lovelace’s prison term is up in August, but he could be held that long only if the parole board scheduled another hearing, which just isn’t fiscally responsible because of all the work required to make a hearing possible, Washington said. Vouching for Lovelace at his parole hearings, Herb and Barbara Grey have offered him a place to live in their home at 83 S. Foothill Road. Barbara Grey said she knew Lovelace through business before he was ever arrested for rape and considers him a friend. "Scott has more than paid for a crime," said Barbara Grey. "I really do not believe that he’s a danger to anyone. We wouldn’t have him in our home if we had any concerns." Other residents expressed worries about the neighborhood’s safety, while some said Lovelace should be given a fair chance. "On one side of the coin, if the guy’s done wrong and served his time, we can’t continue to shove it down his throat," said Jack Sherman. Lovelace will work with county parole officers for at least a year after his release, undergoing sex offender treatment. But he could be discharged if he meets all parole requirements, Washington said. Lovelace isn’t likely to meet many other adult rapists during his term of supervision in Jackson County, officials said. Of the 270 sex offenders on parole or probation countywide — 157 living in Medford — most target children, Fansler said. The most dangerous offenders may be required to post a notice at their homes. No notice is required once offenders are no longer subject to court-ordered supervision. About 670 offenders are not subject to any type of supervision, although they are required to register with the state as sex offenders when they move or each year on their birthday. Nearly 350 of those unsupervised offenders live in Medford, including seven men classified as predators based on a standard state assessment evaluating their criminal history, the number and type of victims involved and the use of weapons or threats during the crime. Of the seven sex predators now living in Medford, two assailants raped women they didn’t know by using violent force or intimidation, just like Lovelace, according to information provided by Medford Police Department. Children were victims in the other five cases. Thirty-five adult rapes were reported in Medford last year. In each case, the suspect knew the victim, according to police department records. More than 100 sex crimes against children were reported to Medford police in 2003. Medford officers recently have started more aggressive monitoring of the city’s registered sex offenders. Officers randomly stop by offenders’ residences and notify neighbors living in the vicinity of a predator. "These (offenders) have to live somewhere," said Medford police officer Bob McCurley, who heads up the project. "Parole and probation have no control over when these people are going to get out (of prison); the police have no control; the community has no control," McCurley said. These sex offenders are classified as predatory The following seven sex offenders are classified as predatory, based on a standard state assessment evaluating criminal history, the number and type of victims involved and the use of weapons or threats during the crime. The Oregon State Police maintains a directory of predatory sex offenders. OSP will provide a list of all registered sex offenders living in a particular ZIP code. The agency’s registry can be obtained by calling 503-378-3720. Callers are asked to leave their name, address and telephone number. Depending on the number of requests OSP receives, the lists usually arrive by mail within three weeks, officials say. The service is free of charge. For additional information on sex offenders living in Jackson County who are supervised by parole or probation officers, contact Jackson County Community Justice at 774-4900. Frederick Joseph Castillo, 55, 722 S. Riverside Ave. Kevin Paul Cook, 40, 11 N. Columbus Ave. Terry Lynn Dewitt, 40, 1508 Barnett Road. Michael James Elder, 55, 911 W. 10th St. Steven Allen Penland, 45, 3721 N. Foothill Road. David Elmer Schmidt, 58, 911 W. 10th St. Paul Lewis Swisher, 47, 1825 Alcan Drive. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. 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