Imagine that. Another black rapist in deep blue St Louis.
ST. LOUIS A former Lyft driver who rejected a plea deal on a rape case
just months ago was sentenced to 13 years in prison Tuesday.
On Monday, Larry Ward, 57, pleaded guilty to the first-degree kidnapping
and first-degree rape of a woman who called the rideshare company for a
ride home from a bachelorette party at a downtown bar on June 22, 2019.
St. Louis City Circuit Court Judge Scott Millikan sentenced Ward to five
years in prison for kidnapping and eight years in prison for the sexual
assault.
The sentencing range on the rape charge is five years to life, which is 30
years, and up to 15 years on a kidnapping charge. Millikan did not
elaborate on how he arrived at his decision to sentence Ward to 13 years,
with one year of credit for time served, although it did mirror the plea
Ward rejected in April.
Ward's attorney, Bob Taaffe, told the judge his client decided to enter a
blind plea Monday -- which was supposed to be the first day of his trial -
- to spare the victim from going through a trial.
Evidence against Ward included a rape kit performed on the victim, data
from her cell phone that showed the time and place where Ward picked her
up, how long the $9.02 ride lasted and an image of Ward on her receipt.
Millikan paused after the victim gave her impact statement to him, tears
welled in his eyes.
I admire your strength and courage and that is going to get you through
from this day forward," Millikan said.
5 On Your Side typically does not identify victims of sexual assault, but
Ward's victim, Cristen Giangarra, 33, has spoken publicly about her
alleged attack.
She has told 5 On Your Side in previous interviews that what was supposed
to be a six-minute ride turned into 51 minutes of terror, which included
waking up with Ward smiling and on top of her.
There is no justice in this case, no amount of tears will give me my life
back, but for the next 13 years, the city of St. Louis will be safer,
Giangarra said during Tuesday's hearing.
She told the court shes been taking anti-seizure medication to prevent
panic attacks, and nighttime teeth grinding has worn away the enamel on
her teeth.
I became an expert at pretending to be OK, she said.
She continued: "What this man took from me is irreplaceable irreparable.
He has robbed me of years of my life. He has stolen moments with friends
and family. And yet, he has been with me at every celebration, every
sorrow, every joy, every tear, every accomplishment. He haunts me. His
shadow is the burden I carry every day ... and on parole, I will haunt in
the form of a registered list."
She also talked about the trauma of undergoing a medical exam following
the rape, saying the only silver lining was learning she was not carrying
his child.
Ward said nothing when the judge asked him if he had any remarks to give,
and a woman who sat behind him began whaling and walked out of the
courtroom after Millikan delivered his sentence.
In April, former St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardners administration
offered Ward a 12-year plea deal. He rejected the offer about two hours
before that plea hearing was to begin, opting instead to go to trial.
In a handwritten letter he sent to Millikan on Sept. 20, Ward wrote that
he never told his attorney he was going to take the deal.
We talked about if it come down to, but never did I say, OK, tell the
judge we taking the deal, no not never, Ward wrote. Im sorry that we
couldnt see eye-to-eye, even when you said I didnt have to be in court,
I was there. Im sorry if it look like I was being an (expletive).
In his letter, he told the judge his GPS monitoring conditions prevented
him from visiting his mothers grave, visiting a brother dying of cancer
and pinning a military medal on his sons shirt.
Millikan revoked Wards bond in August, and Ward told the judge his
incarceration created more stress on his wife and their 14 children one
of whom is 16 years old and still lives with her parents.
Giangarra, who now lives out of state, was prepared to give a victim
impact statement and remained in a private room away from the courtroom
where Ward was meeting with his attorney during that April hearing.
This case is a modern urban nightmare, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe
Gore wrote in a statement. Our Victim Services Unit has worked closely
with the victim to ensure that she received the appropriate legal and
psychological support in the aftermath of her trauma.
I am grateful to our prosecution team, including Jeremy Crowley and
Nicholas Fischbach, for pursuing justice for the victim of this violent
crime.
Attorneys for Lyft also attended Tuesday's hearing.
Giangarra is suing Lyft, alleging it cut corners on checking criminal
backgrounds, which allowed Ward to work for the company despite warning
signs in his criminal history. She also claims the company refused to hire
him once before when a previous background check showed his felony
history.
Resources for crime victims
If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On
Your Side has compiled a list of resources.
The Crime Victim Center of St. Louis has multiple programs to support
victims of crime. Crime Victim Centers programs range from direct
services to crime victims as well as creating awareness and change within
the systems they encounter.
Life Outside of Violence "helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or
assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find
alternatives to end the cycle of violence."
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has the Neighborhood Healing
Network, which serves people who have experienced crime, violence or been
the victim of an incident that caused trauma.
Cure Violence is an international organization that is present in a
handful of St. Louis neighborhoods. Violence interrupters are trained to
de-escalate violent situations within their own communities.
https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/crime/former-st-peters-lyft-driver-
kidnapping-rape-sentencing/63-b584a3cd-34f3-4984-842f-2d688ca9276c