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Liverpool man sentenced to 20 years on rape conviction
A man who forcibly raped a woman in the Village of Phoenix in July of 2005 has been convicted. Joseph A. Stefanovich was sentenced to 20 years in state prison by Oswego County Court Judge James Metcalf, for Rape in the First Degree. Stefanovich will also receive five years’ post-release supervision. The conviction pertains to an allegation that Stefanovich grabbed the victim from behind, put her in a chokehold, and dragged her into a wooded area where the offense was committed.
Stefanovich was linked to the case due to a DNA sample from a 2006 case. The DNA was on profile due to a prior sexual offense conviction.
At trial, Stefanovich claimed that his DNA appeared in the rape kit because he had a consensual encounter with the victim on the day of the offense. He told the jury that another person must have raped her later that same day.
The victim testified that she did not know Stefanovich and had never engaged in consensual intercourse with him.
District Attorney Gregory Oakes, the prosecutor of the case, stated that he wanted to commend the victim for having the “strength to come forward and the courage to testify at trial. Our community is now safe from this predator because of her bravery and fortitude. It was an honor to stand up and fight for her in court.”
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Harper Lee Laid to Rest
OSWEGO, N.Y. — Beloved “To Kill a Mockingbird” author Harper Lee was laid to rest Saturday afternoon. Lee’s ceremony was small and private, with just her family and close friends present.
Lee’s longtime friend Wayne Flynt gave the eulogy at the ceremony. The eulogy Flynt gave was from the speech he wrote in 2006 when Lee won the Birmingham Pledge Foundation Award for her work with racial justice. Lee requested to Flynt that he read the speech as her eulogy.
Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”, published in 1960, was an American classic dealing with race in a small southern town. A part of Lee’s book was pulled from her childhood. Her book won the Pulitzer Prize.
Many people have been moved by the loss of Lee, including author John Green and Apple’s CEO Tim Cook. Harper Lee was 89-years-old.
Written By: Kirby Socker
