Kansas City police arrest black serial rape suspect

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Kansas City police arrest black serial rape suspect

Scott A. Harris

[QUOTE]Kansas City police on Wednesday arrested a 42-year-old man suspected of beating and sexually assaulting four women from March to September.

Jackson County court records allege Scott A. Harris plucked his victims off Independence, Troost and Prospect avenues by offering them rides.

Three victims were raped, one in an apartment and two in the back seat of the attacker’s car. The fourth victim fought the assailant and escaped.

Police arrested Harris twice during their investigation, but released him both times. Jackson County Prosecutor Jim Kanatzar said his office wanted to wait for DNA results.

The results came back Monday, linking Harris
to the first two attacks, according to court records. Police said results are pending in the other two attacks.

Prosecutors charged Harris with 13 felonies: four counts of rape, four counts of sodomy, two counts of kidnapping, two counts of sexual abuse and one count of false imprisonment. He was in custody Wednesday on a $500,000 cash-only bond.

Harris completed high school and attended four years of college, according to Jackson County marriage records. The records showed he divorced his first wife in 1992 and married his second wife, a 61-year-old woman, in April.

He and his wife filed for a marriage license six days after the first rape.

Police said he worked as a plumber and lived in his wife’s house in the 7000 block of the Paseo.

Police focused on Harris early in the investigation after the first victim, a 17-year-old girl, identified Harris’ brother’s apartment in the 1700 block of Kansas Avenue as the location of the March 24 attack. She identified Harris as the r
apist from a photo array.

Harris allegedly raped two additional victims, in May and August; both provided a license plate number immediately after the attacks.

Police towed Harris’ Volvo earlier this month as part of their investigation. Harris’ wife then rented a Mazda on Sept. 13 that police believe Harris used to pick up the fourth victim the following day.

A few days later, police towed the Mazda and arrested him for the second time. He was released, pending further investigation, until his arrest Wednesday.

Investigators presented each rape case to prosecutors, who declined to file charges each time, said Capt. Rich Lockhart.
“If the case isn’t filed,” he said, “the only alternative we have is to let a suspect go until we can do further investigation.”
Kanatzar, the prosecutor, declined to comment further.

The serial cases are unusual, police said, in that a suspect was identified so quickly. Police are investigating whether other rapes co
uld be connected to the pattern. Harris was formerly in the military and previously lived in Georgia, police said.
In the Kansas City incidents, the attacker typically locked the car doors and drove the victims to an alley or apartment where the attacks occurred.

He raped one victim three times.

In the final attack earlier this month, the attacker drove the victim into an alley.

“Whoa. Wait a minute,” she told the man. “I don’t want to sit up there in the dark.”

The man ordered the woman into the back seat, where she kicked him while lowering the back window. He grabbed her ankle and she continued to fight as she reached outside to open the door, which had a child safety lock, to escape.

The woman told police she urinated in the back seat out of fear. Police towed Harris’ rental car and found upholstery cleaner he had bought Sept. 17. Police also noted the car smelled of urine, according to court records.
Harris declined to talk to detectives.
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