Man Fought Rapist for 22 Years

Larry Graves sentenced to life yesterday
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 18, 2013 1:52 PM CDT
Man Fought Rapist for 22 Years
   (Shutterstock)

It all started in 1991, when Skip Marshall saw Larry Graves attacking a woman at a California park-and-ride. Marshall, then 38, grabbed a baseball bat and chased the 15-year-old Graves, eventually catching and holding him. The teen admitted to sexually assaulting the woman and went to the California Youth Authority. Marshall testified against Graves at more than one parole hearing to prevent his early release, and he ended up remaining incarcerated until 2000. From then on, Marshall kept tabs on Graves through his parole officer and court records. Despite a few setbacks, Marshall was hopeful Graves would stay on the straight-and-narrow.

But last year, two women reported being raped at knifepoint, and DNA evidence pointed to Graves. Marshall was called to testify at his trial this year, to prove Graves' history of violent sex crimes. Graves, now 38, was convicted on two counts of rape and one for not registering as a sex offender; he was sentenced to life in prison yesterday. The Los Angeles Times refers to Marshall, a lawyer, as Graves' "nemesis," and the deputy district attorney notes, "It can all be attributed to Skip stopping him in '91." Says Marshall, now 60, "This thing has been with me for 22 years. It's the final chapter for me." The full story is worth a read. (More rape stories.)

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