A Tallassee rape suspect will continue to be held in the Elmore County Jail for the foreseeable future.
During the hearing, witnesses associated with Buckhannon provided statements in his favor. However, the victim, in her conversation with investigators from the Tallassee Police Department, disclosed that she was coerced into engaging in sexual acts at gunpoint within an apartment. Testifying during the proceedings, Investigator Chase Wilks confirmed that he had spoken with both the victim and her sister, who resides in the same complex where the alleged sexual assault took place on September 8th.
According to Wilks, the sister was informed that the victim was inside Buckhannon’s brother’s apartment. Upon entering, she stumbled upon something deeply troubling.
Buckhannon promptly exited the apartment, and law enforcement was summoned to the location.
According to Wilks, the incident began on a Sunday morning at the Marathon on Jordan Avenue. Two witnesses observed the victim in a state of distress when she crossed paths with Buckhannon.
When Buckhannon exited the apartment, some witnesses claimed that he was wearing clothes, while others stated that he was only naked from the waist down. However, all witnesses agreed that the victim left the apartment completely nude.
According to the testimony of Buckhannon’s brother and other family members, the convicted felon has not possessed a firearm since his release from prison in 2017.
The victim underwent a sexual assault exam, but the results were not available before the hearing. Goggans stated that the decision of which witnesses were more credible rested with the jury.
According to court records, Buckhannon has a history of convictions, including third-degree escape, two counts of possession of a forged instrument, second-degree robbery, and third-degree robbery.
According to Buckhannon’s attorney, Walter Northcutt, he was released on parole in 2017 and has since maintained a clean record, without any issues. Moreover, he has been steadily employed on a full-time basis.
Goggans informed Buckhannon that he has the right to request a preliminary hearing. As of now, no court dates have been scheduled for him. In the event that a preliminary hearing does not take place, the case will be presented to an Elmore County Grand Jury at a later time.
