New charges filed in Warrington rape case
New charges filed in Warrington rape case
By Ken Childers
ONL Editor
After being dismissed earlier this year, new charges have been filed against an Okemah man for the alleged rape of an area teenager in 2018.
According to court records, first degree rape charges were filed against Edmond Carl Warrington, 72, last Friday. A warrant for his arrest was issued by the Okfuskee County District Attorney’s office the same day.
Warrington had previously been charged with first or second degree rape and was scheduled to stand trial on May 13. That trial was continued until May 20, but before it began the state dismissed the charges without prejudice, meaning the case could be reopened. In June, Warrington’s attorneys filed an objection to the state’s action of dismissal without prejudice.
Warrington is accused of raping a Cromwell teenager in May 2018. The victim was 17 years old at the time of the alleged incident.
In presenting the motion for continuance on May 13, Assistant District Attorney Laura Farris told the court that during an investigation, allegations were made that Warrington took pictures of the victim with his phone during the course of the alleged abuse.
In light of those allegations, a warrant was served at Warrington’s home and the phones, as well as other electronic devices, were seized, Farris said. Judge Lawrence Parish issued an order that electronic items of attorney/client privilege be protected as investigators examine the devices.
Elliot Smith, representing Warrington, objected to the continuance. “Nothing new has come to light. No new charges will come out of this,” Smith told the judge. “We’re ready to move to trial. If the state wants to proceed with other future charges, that’s fine.”
In a preliminary hearing last November, the victim’s father said on May 12, 2018, his daughter left their house to ride her four wheeler around his property, as well as Warrington’s property, which is adjacent to his land.
As his daughter was riding her four wheeler, the father said he and his family always tracked each other using an iPhone application called “Find My Friends.”He said he checked his daughter’s icon on the screen and it had stopped moving. As he watched, he noticed her icon hadn’t moved for 15 or 20 minutes. He said he began to worry for his daughter’s safety and walked from his house to check on her.
The girl’s father said he saw Warrington’s truck parked with his daughter’s four-wheeler close to it on the driver’s side.
He said he could see his daughter’s legs inside the truck when he got about 40-50 yards away. The father also testified to seeing Warrington with his pants undone and he broke up what was going on by yelling, “Hey … what is going on?”He further testified that Warrington seemed surprised to see him and immediately turned towards him, and, while buttoning his pants back up, began saying, “I didn’t do anything.”
According to court records, the state is now being represented by Albert “Kell”Kelly, who was recently appointed as Assistant District Attorney for Okfuskee and Creek County.