GRPD: Rapist sent threatening Bible verse, bullets to victim
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A victim was preparing to testify against her accused rapist in Grand Rapids when she told police she discovered a threatening Bible verse and five bullets in an envelope in her mailbox.
That has led to new witness intimidation charges against the suspect and is raising questions about victim safety.
The victim, 25, told Target 8 investigators she was set to testify at the Kent County Circuit Court trial in June of 46-year-old Lee Andrew Gray Jr., who was accused of raping her in his Grand Rapids home and choking her until she was unconscious. Gray has a long criminal history.
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On the morning of the trial, she said, her mom found an envelope in their mailbox:
“It was this envelope and it just said my name and a Proverbs verse, and ‘one for each of your family members. Last warning.’ And there were five bullets in the little envelope.”
One bullet for each family member.
She said she Googled the Bible verse, Proverbs 13:3: “Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.”
“My mind goes into, I don’t know, panic mode, and this was like a big morning. The morning I was supposed to go in front of the jury and testify my story,” said the woman, whose name News 8 is not using.
“I took it as a threat not to testify, not to go in, not to continue on with the trial, yeah, or else,” she said.
Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said the case raises questions about victim safety.
“It’s open season on victims and witnesses,” he said.
Until recently, prosecutors redacted identifying information of victims, including addresses, from police reports provided to the defense. But a state Court of Appeals ruling in May 2023, later supported by the state Supreme Court, no longer allows those redactions, Becker said..
“Their address, their phone number, it’s all public information, so that’s been a huge blow to really protecting victim rights. It’s appalling,” the prosecutor said.
He said he believes that has led to a slight increase in witness intimidation cases in Kent County — seven in 2023, up from a total of seven during the previous two years combined.
In this case, it wouldn’t have been difficult to find the victim’s address on the internet. But, why, the prosecutor asked, make it easier by including it in police reports?
“It takes away some protection of the victim,” the victim said. “They know exactly where I stay.”
She said she still would have testified at trial in June, but the suspect failed to show. Court records show he was arrested days later on a bench warrant, then released again on bond.
“I was just like dumbfounded; like, how?” the victim said. “I got five bullets sent to my address the morning of my trial. It was somehow excused, like a slap on the wrist.”
The prosecutor said Circuit Judge Scott Noto denied his office’s request to revoke the bond.
“That’s something you’ll have to talk to the judge (about),” Becker said. “I can’t answer for that. We brought it to their attention.”
Target 8 reached out to the judge but hasn’t heard back.
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The prosecutor’s office put the victim up in a hotel for a few days for protection and police installed security cameras on her home, court records show.
Four months later, in October, on the morning of the new trial date, the victim told police someone slashed the tires on her car and her mom’s car. Surveillance cameras showed a man wearing what appeared to be a COVID mask around the cars. Police said the suspect showed up at court that day wearing a similar mask.
The woman testified anyway.
“I didn’t want any amount of intimidation to make me back down,” she said. “I was ready to just say the truth and what happened and testify and hopefully be heard and believed. and have a good outcome from it. And I’m really proud.”
A jury convicted Gray of first-degree rape and assault by strangulation.
Court records show Grand Rapids police got a search warrant in November to get 10 writing samples from the suspect. They sent them to Michigan State Police for analysis. It’s not clear what came of that.
Gray was charged in November with three counts of witness intimidation, destruction of property and of being a four-time offender.
In another twist, Gray has asked for a new rape trial, claiming prosecutors and police scared away his defense witnesses on the day of the trial by threatening to arrest them.
“They’re saying we did things we didn’t do,” the prosecutor responded.
Gray’s attorney, Evan Hebert, told Target 8 in a text message that Gray was falsely accused of rape.
“We will present video evidence of the lead detective harassing Mr. Gray’s supporters during trial,” the attorney wrote. “This prevented Mr. Gray from presenting a complete defense and violated his right to a public trial. We believe this was done at the direction of the prosecutor’s office.”
A hearing is set for later this month on the request for a new trial. In the meantime, Gray is being held without bond at the Kent County jail.
His attorney said he vigorously denies the intimidation charges:
“There is no evidence that Mr. Gray sent a threatening letter to the complaining witness or slashed anyone’s tires,” Herbert said.
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