Lycoming County jury finds Coatesville man guilty of child rape, other related charges
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A jury of four men and eight women convicted Marcus McDaniel, 37, of all charges he faced in an early evening verdict Thursday.
In all, McDaniel was found guilty of rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, unlawful contact with a minor, indecent assault, endangering the welfare of a child, corruption of minors and obstruction.
McDaniel had been initially charged in April 2022 after a child reported that they had been inappropriately touched by McDaniel.
New allegations came to light in August 2022, alleging the sexual abuse started in early February 2021 and lasted 14 months, according to Det. Loretta Clark, lead investigator for the case.
Arrested in April with McDaniel was Michelle Strayer, 34, of Muncy. She was charged with intimidation or obstruction of child abuse cases, sexual exploitation of a child and unlawful contact with a minor and related offenses.
McDaniel solicited Strayer to help him make arrangements whereby he could abuse the girl, stating, "if you love me, you'll let me have her," according to court testimony.
Text messages uncovered during the investigation revealed that McDaniel urged Strayer to try to convince the child that she had dreamt the abuse, according to prosecutors.
In closing arguments, defense attorney Jeana Longo tread lightly, stressing that she was not painting the victim as a liar, but believed the minor had been led to give the answers through closed questioning by counselors and other interrogates, pointing to the fact that no recorded evidence exists of the initial reports.
While acknowledging the disgusting nature of the charges, Longo implored the jury to look at the evidence as such and not through the lens of emotion.
Assistant District Attorney Martin Wade, in his closing, reminded the jury that the initial adults who took the report are professional, educated people, with no reason to plant such a crime in a child's mind.
Wade further argued that text messages received by Strayer painted a picture of McDaniel's guilt through his insistence that Strayer convince the minor the abuse hadn't really happened, along with other texts referring to the minor by a nickname he had given them.
Wade instructed the jury to come to a decision using a "rational inference" of the available evidence, calling the idea that the assault was fabricated "flimsy at best."
McDaniel is currently being held by police in New Hampshire after failing to appear in court Tuesday.
The ankle monitor on McDaniel, a condition of his release, stopped functioning on Oct. 19, with McDaniel citing a faulty charger as the reason, according to county bail officer Adam Welteroth.
The last known location of McDaniel as per the ankle monitor was Union, Missouri, on Oct. 19.
McDaniel was in contact with Welteroth in reference to his return to the city for trial, relating that he would be checking into a motel in Danville on Tuesday, and would be in town in time for the start of his trial.
However, McDaniel later told Welteroth that he was "advised" not to share his location, but that he was aware of the start date and time of the trial, after which he had no further contact with McDaniel, Welteroth said.
"A bench warrant for Marcus McDaniel, 37, of Coatesville, was issued on Monday after he did not report to jury selection at the Lycoming County Court holding his trial," according to a press release from Andrew Grillo, Deputy U.S. Marshal, New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Task Force.
"Task Force Supervisor William Tufts received a request from the U.S. Marshals Service Middle District of Pennsylvania to follow-up on investigative findings that indicated McDaniel may be staying and working in the Manchester, N.H. area. Less than an hour later, McDaniel's whereabouts were discovered, and he was arrested soon after," the press release continued.
Sentencing is tentatively set for Jan. 9.