Victim of gruesome Pine Hills attack to testify against accused rapist – WFTV

Channel 9 brought you the start of the trial of rape accused Bruce Whitehead and the intense moment when Whitehead’s close friend testified against him.

According to MPs, Whitehead raped and mutilated a woman in December 2022.

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At the time, he was a registered sex offender and had already served a prison sentence for a similar crime committed in Duval County in 1986.

The victim of the 1986 attack testified at the beginning of the trial.

Last week, prosecutors also called Whitehead’s friend to the stand. That friend claimed Whitehead told him he “messed up” the night of the alleged rape in 2022.

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On Monday, prosecutors continued their argument, with experts testifying that the probability that a DNA sample taken from the victim’s body came from Whitehead was more than 700 billion times higher than that of any other person.

Prosecutors also played bodycam video showing the moment a five-day manhunt for Whitehead ended.

The video showed officers pulling a bandana from Whitehead’s forehead that covered up clearly visible tattoos.

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Whitehead has “victim” tattooed on his forehead. Officials testified Monday that the victim used Whitehead’s tattoo to identify him as the prime suspect in her attack.

The victim is likely to be the last witness the prosecution will call before completing its evidence gathering.

She is expected to testify in a closed court hearing on Tuesday.

After the victim’s testimony, the defense is expected to begin calling witnesses to the stand.

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