Duluth man sentenced to life for multiple rapes of teenager
Anthony Dontae Murphy, Jr. (Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office )
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - A Duluth man has been sentenced to life in prison for raping a teenager multiple times in August 2020.
What we know:
Anthony Dontae Murphy Jr., 25, was convicted by a Gwinnett County jury on Friday of five counts of rape and will serve three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.
The victim reported the assaults to police in July 2024, detailing how Murphy used a butter knife to pry open her bedroom door while she was sleeping. She testified that she first awoke to find Murphy lying in bed next to her and, on subsequent occasions, woke up to him having non-consensual sex with her. The victim said the attacks occurred at least five times and that she was too afraid to resist because she had seen Murphy beat another woman multiple times.
During sentencing, Murphy claimed that witnesses had disparaged him and provided inconsistent accounts of the events.
What they're saying:
District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson expressed satisfaction with the outcome. "This defendant’s behavior is despicable," she said. "We are pleased with the verdict and the sentence, and we pray that this victim has been able to heal physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally from this."
The Source: The Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office provided the details for the article.