Eric McGowen Flees After Day of Testimony, Judge Issues Warrant for Arrest
Police are searching for suspect Eric McGowen after he escaped during a break in his trial Wednesday. He has been charged with aggravated sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl in a horrific attack by nearly 20 men. His trial is continuing without him, though police are searching to bring him back to justice.
McGowen could face life in prison if found guilty of sexual assault. He is one of 14 men charged with the crime, and the victim told jurors how McGowen led her to an abandoned trailer in 2010 and then viciously attacked her. It is alleged that nearly 20 men took turns assaulting the young girl over a 20-hour time period.
The young girl, who has testified using the alias "Regina" in court and faced down McGowen in the courtroom just before he disappeared. She told the court how McGowen had forced her to have oral sex with him before he sexually assaulted her with a beer bottle.
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The men also videotaped the attack and jurors, as well as "Regina" were forced to watch first-hand the brutality of the ordeal. Reports state that several jurors turned away from the video, as did "Regina," who broke down while on the stand.
One of the men who pleaded guilty to his crime, Brad Lewis, testified that McGowen had threatened to kill him if he came forward.
"I've known him ever since I was a kid," Lewis explained. "We used to ride bikes together. We all liked to go and do things together."
"Did you all rape together, too?" prosecutor Joe Warren asked.
"Yeah," Lewis replied, according to The Houston Chronicle.
The case has taken Texas, and the country, by storm for its inhumanity. Three of the eight men formally charged have pleaded guilty to sexual assault and are awaiting sentencing.
McGowen's attorney told the jury that the "most unsettling parts of the videos do not contain pictures of McGowen having intercourse with that girl. The truth is not always what it seems," Matthew Poston argued.
Judge Mark Morefield has issued a warrant for McGowen's arrest and increased his bail by $250,000.
