MA- William Raia, charged with aggravated rape, assault of elderly person, July 3, 2021

[Yemelyan]

Victim beaten, pepper-sprayed during Merrimac home invasion, rape, prosecutors say

"She was awoken by a noise, she realized there was a man standing next to her bed. Before she could react, that individual began to strangle her, beat her about the face and body and shove his fingers down her throat so she couldn’t breathe," said Prosecutor Kate MacDougall.

The victim, 74, said she was beaten, pepper-sprayed and sexually assaulted.

"He indicated to her that he'd been watching her for some period of time and knew certain things about her life and that if she reported this he would come back and kill her."

The victim was assaulted for hours but was eventually able to escape. She remembered that her assailant had drunk from a beer can during the assault and thrown it in the bushes near her house. DNA from the beer can was matched to a cigarette that Raia was seen smoking while under surveillance by investigators.

This perpetrator is 50 years old and I guarantee you that with this M.O. he has other victims out there.

 

[modesty blaise]

Disgusting .

 

[modesty blaise]

I dont know how far apart they are but sandra crispo and abby flynn both middle aged women are missing in MA presumably from their homes.

 

[Yemelyan]

I dont know how far apart they are but sandra crispo and abby flynn both middle aged women are missing in MA presumably from their homes.

The victim in this case is quite a bit older (74). However, that need not mean anything.

Merrimac is a Massachusetts town on the border of New Hampshire so Abbie Flynn would have been probably half hour away and Sandra Crispo and hour and a half away from Merrimac.

 

[Yemelyan]

This article has details on how the victim escaped:

No bail for man accused of sexually assaulting elderly woman during Merrimac home invasion – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

Prosecutors said she was able to convince Raia to allow her to wash the pepper spray from her face and she used the time to run to a neighbor’s home, where she called 911. “The suspect turned away for a moment or two and she took the opportunity to flee for her life,” the prosecutor said.

This article also has a quote from the alleged offender's wife:

The suspect lives just around the corner from the victim which prosecutors say was used to threaten her. “He indicated to her that he had been watching her for some period of time and he knew certain things about her life and if she reported this he would come back and kill her,” the lawyer said. Raia’s wife Kerry told reporters she thinks they have the wrong man. "I’m really confused because obviously I wouldn’t be with a man that would do something like that,” she said.