From Sexual Harassment to Sexual Assault to Rape and Kidnap!

I met my assailant Mark Lee Murray III at DuPont. We were both college students on work assignment there.

It didn't take long for him to realize that I was a virgin as I drew back every time he tried to grope me. I became a game and a conquest for him.

I had become an ongoing game even after repeated sexual assault(s).

Mark Lee Murray III's intent in 1990 was never about love. It was always about power and conquest over me.

10/10/1990 was the date of the first consensual sexual encounter which turned into sexual assault as I firmly ended consent with the initial onset of pain.

It is year 2020, and somehow, my fight for justice is still against power and conquest. Anyone who has ever been violently attacked understands that the ordeal is not something that a survivor just gets over. It is something one lives with for the rest of one's life. 

It is time for the game to be over.  #round2mark3 (image added 6/25/2020)

Please sign my petition to raise awareness and convince the Buncombe County DA that I deserve justice. Thirty years is long enough. #round2mark3

https://www.change.org/p/asheville-nc-district-attorney-office-support-rape-survivor-whose-dna-rape-kit-was-thrown-away?recruiter=532225508&recruited_by_id=215f0380-0a82-11e6-98d4-1b5d4649dd25&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=petition_dashboard

Justice System: The name is the game changer.

Photo credit: Facebook

So I released my detailed account of my rape and kidnapping in November 2018. Unfortunately, what I learned is that Rape happens quite often.  There is a "rape culture' that exists. A "groping culture" also exists. I was quite saddened to hear this. Violent acts against women affect every woman differently. For me, my toxic relationship with Mark Lee Murray III became an ultimate tragedy that redirected my entire life's journey.

I was forced to release my assailant's name in December 2018.  The world stopped in silence, and it cleared a path for me to walk through. I have no regrets. It was necessary. Clearly, a prominent name is a gamechanger.

In June 2019, I asked Buncombe County District Attorney Todd Williams to file kidnapping charges against my assailant. Of course, my name is not prominent enough to get any prompt attention, but this week, progress was made.

My 1990 case is still visible in the system. When asked why didn't I file kidnapping charges in 1990? My response was that my story has not changed. I was pinned up in Mark's car for an hour against my will in a secluded area. It sounds like kidnapping to me. No further questions were asked.

I have secured advocacy in Asheville, NC.

The hashtag for my pending victory over my assailant is #round2mark3

My life has been hell with the post traumatic stress spilling into every aspect of my relationships including family.  I'm ready for due process. It is decades overdue, and God's timing.

Related links:

https://applebaumparadigm.blogspot.com/2018/11/my-1990-rape-survivor-story.html

https://applebaumparadigm.blogspot.com/2018/11/signs-of-1990-abusive-relationship.html

https://applebaumparadigm.blogspot.com/2018/12/identification-of-my-rapist-mark-lee.html

Identification of my rapist: Mark Lee Murray III

Mark Lee Murray III 

(Photo credit: Facebook)

Mark Lee Murray, III

Asheville Times, December 17, 1990, the cover story of the arrest announcement.

I have tried to move forward with my life, but at every turn, I get a road block.  Apparently, this is God's way to let me know that I need to finish dealing with the past in order to move forward in my future.

I thank God for my friend "Curtiss" who accompanied me to the hospital.  I thank God for my Clemson University friends who encouraged me to speak out otherwise I would not have a case number to reference (90-12-11574).   

Acquaintance Rape Case: 90-12-11574

I was denied victim compensation in 1991. (File No.: 91-11-006-0)

I will be pursuing a trial by jury. It's time that someone start fighting for that young lady inside of me that is still traumatized by the chain of abuse and rape endured in 1990.  My anniversary of this tragic set of circumstances is during this time of the year.

Ebony Magazine "Super Single Sister" feature.

Thank you to all who have poured out so many kind words and support since revealing my rape story. I no longer want to suffer in silence. It is time for my rebirth.

World Championship of Performing Arts Modeling Competition