Alleged church rapist pleads not guilty
- 5/12/11
- Categorized in: Crime, DeKalb News
The man accused of the rape of a Stone Mountain church worker in February waived his arraignment and pleaded not guilty in court on May 3.
John Russell Carter, 50, of 157 Mill Court in Atlanta, was indicted last month for the Feb. 26 rape of a female worker at St. Timothy United Methodist Church, located at 5365 Memorial Drive. The 12-count indictment includes: rape, armed robbery, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, burglary and possession of a knife during commission of a felony.
Superior Court Judge Michael Hancock granted Carter’s public defender 10 days to file motions in the case. DeKalb District Attorney Robert James, who is serving as lead prosecutor in the case, was on hand for the proceedings, but did not address the court.
According to police, the 53-year-old female victim was working in a church office on a Saturday afternoon. When she answered an exterior office door, the suspect allegedly forced his way into the building and attacked the victim.
On March 16, DNA evidence processed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation linked Carter to the case. At that time, Carter had been in custody at the Fulton County Jail after a March 7 arrest for violating his parole for possession of cocaine charges in 2007 in Richmond County.
