Marine who sexually abused another sailor is reportedly also accused of murder

A former Marine suspected of murdering a young woman has reportedly been sentenced to 20 years in prison for a separate incident. He pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a woman aboard a naval base earlier this year.

KWTX reported Wednesday that 20-year-old Julian Jefferson was sentenced in connection with an incident in January 2023. His victim said the former sailor broke into her room aboard Naval Base Colorado and violently attacked her.

Jefferson, who was dishonorably discharged from the Navy, pleaded guilty to burglary and rape in early May, local television station KGTV reported. The times of Freestone County.

The victim told investigators that she had texted Jefferson earlier that evening, asking him to be quiet because she heard him talking in an adjoining room while she was trying to sleep.

Jefferson apologized via text message, but the victim says she then heard knocks on her door throughout the night. The victim checked the door several times but found no one was there and tried to look through the peephole to find out who was knocking.

When she finally caught Jefferson in the act, the former sailor broke down the door, threw the victim to the ground and began choking her, according to court-martial documents cited in the KWTX report.

Jefferson then attacked the victim on the floor and then dragged her to bed to continue the attack. According to documents cited by KWTX, he then dragged the victim into the shower where he attacked her again.

The station reported that the victim said the attack lasted about two hours. According to the documents, the victim described the incident as “excruciating.” Witnesses heard the struggle and called 911, according to KWTX. One woman told investigators she heard someone “yelling ‘murder and damnation’ at the top of their lungs” at the time of the attack.

After Jefferson left the victim’s room, she ran to a friend’s barracks to get help.

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Jefferson already faces a life sentence if convicted of the capital crime he was charged with in late May in connection with the March 28 murder of 22-year-old Denise Lissette Ramos.

Ramos’ body was discovered at her Fairfield, Texas, home after police conducted a wellness check because she failed to show up for work. Jefferson was charged with felony murder on May 20, according to KWTX.

It is not immediately clear whether he has made a confession or hired a lawyer.

“This whole thing has left an empty hole in our stomachs. It has left a scar on our family,” Luis Ramos, Denise’s father, told KGTV. “And just hearing that he is being held accountable for his actions helps us begin to heal.”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to Rainn.org.