Additional charges filed in Warrington rape case

Additional charges filed in Warrington rape case

By Ken Childers

ONL Editor

Additional charges have been filed against an Okemah man accused of raping an underage girl in the spring of 2018.

Edmond Warrington, 70, was originally charged with first or second-degree rape and was scheduled to stand trial on May 13, 2019. That trial was continued until the following week, but before it began, the state dismissed the charges without prejudice, meaning the case could be reopened.

Warrington was charged again in October, this time with first-degree rape. Earlier this month, the charges were amended to first-degree rape by force or fear and second-degree rape by instrumentation, according to court records.

Warrington was arraigned at the Okfuskee County Courthouse last Tuesday and his attorney filed a motion to have the case dismissed, citing “an abuse of discretion by the trial court” in dismissing the original case without prejudice. Also in the motion, it is claimed that Warrington’s sixth amendment right to a speedy and public trial was violated.

In a preliminary hearing last November, the alleged victim’s father said on May 12, 2018, his daughter left their house to ride a four wheeler around his property, which adjoined Warrington’s land.

The father said he and his family tracked his daughter as she rode the four-wheeler by using an iPhone application called “Find My Friends.” He said he checked his daughter’s icon on the screen and  noticed it hadn’t moved for 15 or 20 minutes, so he went 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 unbuttoned.

In May 2019, then 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. Farris said a warrant had been served at Warrington’s home and the phones, as well as other electronic devices, were seized.

Warrington is due back in court for a hearing on March 17. He is represented by Attorney Elliot Z. Smith of Tulsa.