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Testimony begins in trial of Florida man accused of raping and mutilating woman

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A man accused of raping and mutilating a woman in Orlando is due in court Thursday.RELATED: Trial of man accused of ‘brutally’ raping and mutilating woman begins in Orange CountyBruce Whitehead, 55, was arrested in 2022 and charged with attempted murder and sexual abuse. If convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison.On Thursday, Wesh heard testimony from a crime scene investigator and the deputy who found the victim partially naked with visible injuries after she was attacked in a wooded area just off Pine Hills Road.A man with tattoos on his face and hands – that’s how the victim described his attacker to Orange County deputies. They said she fled shortly after she was raped and mutilated.Whitehead wore a suit in court Thursday while a jury of four men and four women heard testimony from the deputy who answered the call for help. “She was covered with a jacket. She was screaming. She said she was in pain,” Orange County Deputy Christopher Shad said. Prosecutors played the deputy’s body camera video, in which the victim can be heard describing what happened. “He took out his knife and tried to cut it off,” the victim said. “I don’t know where we went. He held me in the car the whole time.” Investigators said Whitehead picked up the woman in December 2022, who was walking with her friends on South Orange Blossom Trail. He allegedly drove her to a parking lot where he raped her, burned her with a cigarette and slashed her with a knife. The crime scene investigator said she found some items in a wooded area off Pine Hills Road. She collected a cigarette butt, a hotel key card and the victim’s dress. Whitehead is a registered sex offender who served 20 years in prison for a 1986 rape in Duval County. Prosecutors plan to bring this up during the trial, and the jury could hear from the victim of the 1986 attack.Previous coverage: Man accused of raping and mutilating woman in Orlando allegedly tries to stop her from testifyingJury selection begins for man accused of ‘brutal’ rape and mutilation of woman in Orange CountyOrange County officials say they have arrested man accused of ‘brutal’ rape and mutilation of woman

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. —

A man accused of raping and mutilating a woman in Orlando will appear in court on Thursday.

RELATED: Trial of man accused of ‘brutally’ raping and mutilating woman begins in Orange County

Bruce Whitehead, 55, was arrested in 2022 and charged with attempted murder and sexual abuse. If convicted, he could face life in prison.

On Thursday, Wesh heard testimony from a crime scene investigator and the deputy who found the victim partially naked and with visible injuries after an attack in a wooded area near Pine Hills Road.

A man with tattoos on his face and hands – that’s how the victim described her attacker to Orange County officials. They said she fled shortly after she was raped and mutilated.

Whitehead wore a suit in court Thursday as a jury of four men and four women heard testimony from the deputy sheriff who responded to the call for help.

“She was covered with a jacket. She was screaming. She said she was in pain,” Orange County Deputy Christopher Shad said.

The prosecutor played the video from the officer’s body camera, in which the victim can be heard describing the incident.

“He took out his knife and tried to cut it off,” the victim said. “I don’t know where we went. He held me in the car the whole time.”

Investigators said Whitehead picked up the woman in December 2022 while she was hiking with her friends on the South Orange Blossom Trail.

He allegedly drove her to a parking lot where he raped her, burned her with a cigarette and slashed her with a knife.

The crime scene investigator said she found several items in a wooded area off Pine Hills Road. She found a cigarette butt, a hotel key card and the victim’s dress.

Whitehead is a registered sex offender who served 20 years in prison for a 1986 rape in Duval County.

Prosecutors plan to raise the incident during the trial. The jury may also hear the views of the victim of the 1986 attack.

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