Mom says she was locked in room, daughter raped in another room

Tribune Staff Report

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By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Jul 18, 2008 at 11:58 PM EDT

Story Updated: Jul 19, 2008 at 12:16 AM EDT

LAPORTE — A LaPorte man faces a felony rape charge accusing him of locking a mother in her bedroom and raping her daughter in a separate bedroom.

Billy Lawson then allegedly threatened to blow up the woman’s house with her and the daughter inside if they went to police.

Those are the allegations in LaPorte Circuit Court, where 29-year-old Lawson made his initial appearance Friday. He could face 20 to 50 years in prison.

According to court documents, Lawson during the early morning hours of July 5 locked a woman in her bedroom while she was asleep.

He walked into the woman’s daughter's bedroom naked and ordered her to have sex with him.

Thirty minutes later, the mother managed to unlock the door and spotted a still unclothed Lawson on top of her daughter.

She tried calling police, but Lawson punched her and threw her out a window, according to court documents.

Lawson told both of them he would blow up the house with them inside if they went to police, they said. Still, they went to the police on July 12.

Lawson was being held on $15,000 cash bond, his trial is scheduled for trial Jan. 12.

Tuesday, Jul 22 at 4:42 PM unfair wrote ...

It's unfair to put blame on the mom...had she known this man was a sick pervert, i'm sure she would have never let him in her home or dated him. Also had i been threatened like they were..i think i would be reluctant to go to the police right away. They were traumatized i'm sure..I hope that sicko gets what he deserves..men in prison don't like child molestors.

Tuesday, Jul 22 at 10:02 AM another divorce wrote ...

What the heck is wrong with women picking crazy boyfriends like that. Some people should not be allowed to marry and have kids.

Tuesday, Jul 22 at 8:21 AM IVY wrote ...

Based upon the news reports, this story just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. I think reporters should get more facts before reporting the story because it raises too many unanswered questions.

Tuesday, Jul 22 at 8:06 AM Kit Kat wrote ...

Stater: ya, blowing up the house would do it...but what happened after 7 days to decide to tell?

Monday, Jul 21 at 6:57 PM anonamous wrote ...

You never really know what you would do if you were in that situation. It is so easy to judge others, wait until it happens to you and see if it is so easy to judge someone else

Monday, Jul 21 at 3:25 PM Stater of The Obvious wrote ...

why did it take 7 days to report it ? Well, gee, dya think it might have something to do with the guy threating to blow their frickin house up? He'd already proven himself capable of horrific acts and the women were no doubt traumatized too. He needs a loooong stay in jail, with Bubba.

Monday, Jul 21 at 2:16 PM Benson wrote ...

When he threw her out the window, did she land in some bushes? Or did she land on the hard ground? I hope there were bushes there to soften her landing. If not, I bet that hurt.

Monday, Jul 21 at 2:08 PM anon wrote ...

it was the stepfather of the girl, he lived there. When the police got there they were scared to tell what happened due to the threats he made, but eventually went and told police everything thats why theres a gap. He's 29 so I'm guessing the girl is young. Sad situation. They should have set higher bail since he made death threats hopefully the mom and girl are where he can't find them now.

Monday, Jul 21 at 12:43 PM concerned wrote ...

I puzzled the story said the guy locked the mother in the room then went into her daughters room naked. How does any one know hoe he went into the bed room if the mother was locked in her room and the girl was asleep. Peoples reaction to a real intruder would be hit 911 put the phone down then try to help out the victum. When a 911 call comes in with no person on the line but a lot of back ground noise its called an open 911 line help is dispatched right away.

Monday, Jul 21 at 12:24 PM maire wrote ...

What horrible violations of ones rights. You know he could be sentenced to death or left to die in jail ect.., but none of that could ever give back to her what he stole. I beilieve she will be able to get past this but she will never forget. And she will always have something against men unless God heals her heart completely.

Monday, Jul 21 at 11:35 AM Anonymous wrote ...

You know, sometimes my fellow readers make me sick. So what if it was drug related. Aren't addicts also human beings. Shame on you for that comment.

Monday, Jul 21 at 11:35 AM Linda wrote ...

I totally agree with 11:04. I am sure she was terrified. After all he punched her, threw her out a window and promised her retribution if she went to the police. I understand the hesitation but I am glad she did finally go. I am praying he gets life and whats with $15,000 cash bond? He should be held without bond since he threatened her life and would probably go through with it if given the opportunity.

Monday, Jul 21 at 11:35 AM Anonymous Too wrote ...

Forget the police, the “To Catch a Predator” crew should trade their cameras for baseball bats. Just remember to hide your faces distinguishing tattoos in case it ends up on YouTube.

Monday, Jul 21 at 11:04 AM Anonymous wrote ...

First of all I am sure they waited to call the police because they were threatened and were scared to go forward. That is very common when a crime as such happens. And second of nowhere in the article does it say that he was let in the house. It doesn't go into those details. So before commenting read the story correctly

Monday, Jul 21 at 9:56 AM SAD wrote ...

This is a SAD time we are living in. It doesn't matter how old the girl was, she was RAPED, and the mother tried to do what she could do. It's just too bad she couldn't finish him off and saved us some money. It doesn't matter if they knew him or not he is a Sick person, and we need to make sure he NEVER sees daylight again!!!!!

Monday, Jul 21 at 1:39 AM Guy with an observation wrote ...

Seven days later? It must have been drug-related.

Sunday, Jul 20 at 5:35 PM bye from YouNews TV wrote ...

That is disgusting. Lock him up for life. Or give him the Death Sentence. Either one works for me!

Sunday, Jul 20 at 5:32 PM Kit Kat wrote ...

Billy Bob- do the same to him...he gets off on this stuff

Sunday, Jul 20 at 5:15 PM rick wrote ...

this sounds very fishy.

Sunday, Jul 20 at 4:42 PM liza wrote wrote ...

I I say kill him now, I dont want my tax money feeding and housing someone like that, and as far as that goes, all on death row should die now.

Sunday, Jul 20 at 3:06 PM BILLY BOB wrote ...

THEY SHOULD DO THE SAME TO HIM IN JAIL SEE HOW HE LIKES IT WHAT KIND OF MAN TAKES A YOUNG GIRL THATS WORNG

Sunday, Jul 20 at 9:29 AM Kit Kat wrote ...

Very strange that one would wait a week to report such horrible crimes.

Sunday, Jul 20 at 8:03 AM to What I'd do.... wrote ...

Mom always recomended a cast iron skillit...

Sunday, Jul 20 at 7:22 AM Whatareyouwaitingfor? wrote ...

Beat the police, the judge the jury and the parole board. Ventilate this rapist with your handgun.

Saturday, Jul 19 at 11:36 PM bye bye wrote ...

lock this fool up and throw away the key. but i wonder if there's more to the story though? report it a week later? and how old is the girl? are we talking child? pre-teen? teen?

Saturday, Jul 19 at 11:28 PM What I'd do wrote ...

The man has to sleep sometime. Then, you know where to aim with a sturdy baseball bat.

Saturday, Jul 19 at 6:57 PM Anonymous wrote ...

Loozer.

Saturday, Jul 19 at 5:09 PM JACKIE wrote ...

THAT PERSON NEEDS TO ROT IN PRISON AFTER HE GETS HIS

Saturday, Jul 19 at 4:10 PM tahoe wrote ...

After she got out of the locked room she saw him still on her daughter, But went to the phone, what she didn't even try to fight for her daughter ?.

Saturday, Jul 19 at 3:43 PM no name wrote ...

here is a link to a better article http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=16051

Saturday, Jul 19 at 2:28 PM Curious wrote ...

I wonder if this was a boyfriend, or an intruder. Also curious how old was the daughter? Not that it makes any difference as rape is rape.

Saturday, Jul 19 at 1:18 PM Anonymous wrote ...

what a sick person

Saturday, Jul 19 at 12:57 PM tom branstetter wrote ...

Im so sick of hearing of cases like this they need to make a harsh example of this piece of trash. The sad truth is our society is to worried about peoples rights to know when people shouldnt have rights. I cna think of a whole lot of ways to fix this problem, but it will never happen. The only hope is that prison justice does its job.

Saturday, Jul 19 at 11:51 AM Hang em high wrote ...

If he is convicted hope he receives everything he has coming including dropping the soap in the shower.

Saturday, Jul 19 at 11:33 AM mariah wrote ...

what a freakin sicko. what the hell is wrong with people? hopefully justice works in this case, he needs to have the same thing done to him. god will make him pay thou.

Saturday, Jul 19 at 11:01 AM G wrote ...

Put this dude away for a long, long, long time with no chance of parole. This is absolutely disgusting. Hopefully when he gets in prison word will spread of who he is and what he did and he will get taken care of. The other inmates love to welcome those sickos into thier house.

Saturday, Jul 19 at 9:11 AM Bridgette wrote ...

That is one sick man. I hope they put him away for a long time. Pray for the daughter for what he put her through.

Saturday, Jul 19 at 8:57 AM David wrote ...

7 days later, she went to the police? why did it take so long?

Saturday, Jul 19 at 8:06 AM Anonymous wrote ...

$15,000 bond....what is that about?

Saturday, Jul 19 at 7:15 AM Robertnowicki833@comcast.net wrote ...

Where in the hell did this woman find this sicko, let alone have him over at the mother and daughter's house. My prayers go to the girl.

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