Verdict update at bottom of post.
Kenneth Hinson, the man accused of kidnapping two South Carolina teenagers, raping them, and holding them hostage in an underground dungeon in his backyard, has been taking his case to a jury over the last week or so.
Hinson, a sex offender convicted of a rape of a 12-year-old girl in 1991, took the stand today, insisting on his innocence.
Hinson testified on the witness stand that during his four days in hiding, he believed the police were after him, not because of the rape and kidnapping of the girls- but because of the drug run he had been planning. He also claimed that the "dungeon" the girls were found in was built to store and hide the drugs.
As for the charges stemming from the rapes, he denied assaulting the girls, and instead testified that he had had consensual sex with both girls earlier in the day, prior to their kidnappings.
He also testified that he had sex with one of the victims a week prior, after she asked him to buy a sex toy for her, and then demonstrated to him how to use it.
Defense witness Tim Beasley also testified saying that he had previously overheard the victims telling a woman they had lied about the kidnapping and rape because they had stolen drugs from Hinson, and were concerned that he'd retaliate against them if he found out.
The story of the underground dungeon, and the attacks on two teenage girls as offered by them is much different than what has been presented by the defense. The girls have claimed that while they knew Hinson prior to the kidnappings, they had never been in nor known about the underground dungeon. They testified that while Hinson kidnapped them while they were sleeping in the middle of the night. After being taken to the dungeon, raped and bound with tape, they struggled to break free. They have stated they were in the room around 6 to 7 hours before they were able to escape.
The other victim in the case had previously testified that they were in the room around three hours, before being able to escape. Both girls denied having engaged in drug use with Hinson, and both testified that they were unaware of the dungeon that would have been close to the trailer they shared, which was directly beside the one shared by Hinson, and the mother and brother of one of the victims.
When the case first made headlines, after the girls came forward last year, there was little doubt in anyone's mind that this previously convicted sex offender had done this. Now, as the trial starts to come to a close, the question of his guilt will be in the hands of 12 jurors. Will they be as quick to convict as most of the nation was when the photos of the dungeon were published alongside the reports of the assaults on the girls by the police? With both sides demonstrating their unfettering positions, it seems that the prosecution and Hinson evenly summed up their prospective sides in one short exchange:
>>Update<<
The verdict came in, after fours hours of deliberations by the jury.
Hinson was found not guilty on all counts, dodging a mandatory life sentence under a "two strikes" law in the state of SC.
He is still currently being held however, due to pending burglary charges.
Kenneth Hinson, the man accused of kidnapping two South Carolina teenagers, raping them, and holding them hostage in an underground dungeon in his backyard, has been taking his case to a jury over the last week or so.
Previous Posts On Hinson:
Kenneth Hinson, In Court
Captured! Kenneth Glenn Hinson
Kenneth Glenn Hinson
Other Crime Blogs Following the Case:
Crime Scene Blog
While the jury heard testimony supporting the victims claims of being raped by Hinson via DNA found on one of their t-shirts, the defense was also prepared with some of it's own dramatic testimony.Kenneth Hinson, In Court
Captured! Kenneth Glenn Hinson
Kenneth Glenn Hinson
Other Crime Blogs Following the Case:
Crime Scene Blog
Hinson, a sex offender convicted of a rape of a 12-year-old girl in 1991, took the stand today, insisting on his innocence.
Hinson testified on the witness stand that during his four days in hiding, he believed the police were after him, not because of the rape and kidnapping of the girls- but because of the drug run he had been planning. He also claimed that the "dungeon" the girls were found in was built to store and hide the drugs.
SCNow.com- He also said he’d had four pounds of marijuana hidden in the secret room and planned to sell the drugs on a welding job in New York the week he was arrested.
Hinson also said it took him two years to complete the room and that he’d used it on at least three separate occasions to hide marijuana.
As for the charges stemming from the rapes, he denied assaulting the girls, and instead testified that he had had consensual sex with both girls earlier in the day, prior to their kidnappings.
MyrtleBeachOnline- A convicted sex offender accused of raping two teens in a dungeon-like space behind his home testified Saturday that he had consensual sex with both his accusers just hours before the alleged crimes took place.
Kenneth Glenn Hinson said one of 17-year-olds then asked him for money.
He also testified that he had sex with one of the victims a week prior, after she asked him to buy a sex toy for her, and then demonstrated to him how to use it.
The Star- Hinson testified Saturday that the girls asked him to purchase a sexual device about a week before the alleged crimes and, after he did, one of them demonstrated to him how it worked.While on cross by the defense, one of the victims did admit to going to a adult store, giving Hinson $40.00 to by a sex toy for her (she would not have been able to purchase it herself due to her age) but denied Hinson's claims that she used it in his presence. The Defense also questioned the victims statements to hospital workers the night of the attack, written statements and their testimony on the stand:
He described in detail his trip to a sex shop with one of his accusers. When Hinson's attorney, Rick Hoefer, asked him to look inside a brown paper evidence bag containing the device, Hinson told the court, "It's the one I paid for or it's an identical twin.''
SCNOW::
The woman said her written statement to police didn't mention that Hinson had a gun or a pocket knife on March 14, 2006, when the assaults allegedly occurred north of Hartsville. She said Wednesday in court, however, that Hinson had a knife and that she saw the outline of a gun in the back pocket of the his jeans.
[...]
The woman said during one interview that a knife was pulled on her while she was sexually assaulted, said Elizabeth Cook, a former nurse practitioner at the Pee Dee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Assault's Elizabeth Pettigrew Durant Children's Center in Florence.
The woman testified that Hinson never pulled a gun on her, despite statements she said she made during an interview at the center.
Defense witness Tim Beasley also testified saying that he had previously overheard the victims telling a woman they had lied about the kidnapping and rape because they had stolen drugs from Hinson, and were concerned that he'd retaliate against them if he found out.
The story of the underground dungeon, and the attacks on two teenage girls as offered by them is much different than what has been presented by the defense. The girls have claimed that while they knew Hinson prior to the kidnappings, they had never been in nor known about the underground dungeon. They testified that while Hinson kidnapped them while they were sleeping in the middle of the night. After being taken to the dungeon, raped and bound with tape, they struggled to break free. They have stated they were in the room around 6 to 7 hours before they were able to escape.
SCNOW: They also testified the defendant threatened to kill them if they made noise or tried to escape.
“He said he’d grind us up in a meat grinder and feed us to his dog,” the woman who testified Wednesday afternoon said, echoing the other woman’s testimony.
[...]
The women said Hinson carried them separately from their trailer, which stood next to his; bound their mouths, hands and feet with duct tape; and placed them in the secret room.
“You’re saying he picked you up and carried you out without waking (the other girl) up?” Hoefer asked.
“Yes, sir,” the woman said.
The other victim in the case had previously testified that they were in the room around three hours, before being able to escape. Both girls denied having engaged in drug use with Hinson, and both testified that they were unaware of the dungeon that would have been close to the trailer they shared, which was directly beside the one shared by Hinson, and the mother and brother of one of the victims.
The teens knew Hinson well and lived next door to his mobile home.
One of the teens, whose mother and brother lived with Hinson, said there was no running water at their home so they bathed at Hinson's house.
Electricity for the teens' mobile home was rigged through a pipe from Hinson's home and their doors were secured only with a coat hanger stretched across several nails, one of the teens testified.
When the case first made headlines, after the girls came forward last year, there was little doubt in anyone's mind that this previously convicted sex offender had done this. Now, as the trial starts to come to a close, the question of his guilt will be in the hands of 12 jurors. Will they be as quick to convict as most of the nation was when the photos of the dungeon were published alongside the reports of the assaults on the girls by the police? With both sides demonstrating their unfettering positions, it seems that the prosecution and Hinson evenly summed up their prospective sides in one short exchange:
"Is it true the only thing more carefully constructed than that underground dungeon was the story you told this jury yesterday?" prosecutor Jennifer Evans asked.
"All I can say is that it matches the evidence," Hinson replied.
>>Update<<
The verdict came in, after fours hours of deliberations by the jury.
Hinson was found not guilty on all counts, dodging a mandatory life sentence under a "two strikes" law in the state of SC.
A South Carolina man accused of raping two teen girls in an underground bunker has been found not guilty of kidnapping, sex crimes and assault with intent to kill.
Kenneth Glenn Hinson, 48, wiped his eyes and mouth and appeared to cry after the jury read its verdict. As he was escorted from the courtroom, Hinson said, "The verdict says it all."
He is still currently being held however, due to pending burglary charges.