Mexico man found guilty of rape, kidnapping

UPDATE: The jury has found Todd guilty of 2 counts each of rape, sodomy and kidnapping.

The defense has 10 days to file a motion for a new trial.

A hearing for motions and a possible sentencing is set for April 23.

ORIGINAL STORY: A Boone County jury will get back together on Saturday for what could be the final day of a rape trial.

Justin Todd of Mexico, Missouri faces two counts of rape, along with kidnapping and sodomy charges. Judge Michael Bradley told both sides of the case on Friday night that he wanted the case to end by Saturday.

Columbia police believe Todd raped a woman twice on May 27 and 28 of 2017 at a trailer court off Brown Station Road. Witnesses there told police officers that Justin and his wife, Danielle Todd, put a blindfolded woman in their van. The Todds were found in Warren County, 90 minutes east of Columbia, along with the alleged victim.

Detective Steve McCormack spent several hours on the stand Friday afternoon and evening describing his investigation. He spoke with both the alleged victim and Todd shortly after they were found.

McCormack said it took a second interview with the alleged victim to learn more about the incident. McCormack said the woman seemed to be under the influence of drugs the first time, having hallucinated about some of the events of the night in question. McCormack said during the second interview, the woman accused Todd of forcing her to swallow pills at gunpoint and zip-tying her hands together before raping her.

Defense attorney Sarah Aplin pointed out several potential leads that McCormack did not follow. The detective did not seek out surveillance video from around the trailer court, nor did he seek out video from gas stations and truck stops they went to during the time period. McCormack also said he never found the gun the alleged victim described, and zip ties found in house appeared too small for human wrists.

A DNA analyst from the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Lab said a cervical swab of the woman turned up some of Todd’s DNA.