WHITMAN COUNTY, Wash. — A man accused of breaking into homes and raping women in the early 2000's in Pullman was sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars.
On Friday, a Whitman County judge found 47-year-old Kenneth Downing guilty of four counts of first-degree rape and one count of second-degree assault with sexual motivation.
Downing was arrested in March at a construction site in North Spokane after Pullman police say his DNA matched evidence collected at multiple crime scenes. He accepted a plea deal on July 8 and pleaded guilty to the five charge counts.
According to the press release, Downing is not eligible for parole for almost 24 years. If released from prison, he will have to register as a sex offender and will be under lifetime supervision by the Washington State Department of Corrections. All survivors will also receive a lifetime protection order against Downing.
"After 20 years of hell, I hope today marks a turning point in the lives of the survivors. The monster known as Kenneth Downing is now where he belongs," said Dan LeBeau, Whitman County's Chief Deputy Prosecutor. "We now have justice for the survivors and peace for the community."
During the sentencing, victims read their statements and asked the judge to deliver the maximin sentence for Downing.
"To be sure no one is waiting to do any harm, I spent the last 18 years wondering if the stranger in the store check-out line next to me, or the driver or the car next to me was the monster from that night he has lived as a monster in my memory for so long. And now the monster has a name," one of the victims said.
"He not only invalidated my body but my entire life," another of the victims said."I will never forget that night. Even now I cannot come home to an empty house."
During the sentence, Downing's oldest child asked the court for 'compassion and mercy. Downing's wife also spoke and told the court that while her heart hurts for the victims, his husband is not that monster.
'I hear what the ladies are saying, and my heart breaks for them, but I am certain that my husband is not that same monster that he was then," she said.
Downing also asked the court for mercy and apologized to the victims. He told the court that back then he was not the same person he is now.
"At that time in my life, I didn’t know I was consumed by pornography," Downing said. "I have been praying for you ever since. I wish there was something that I could do. It cannot be undone. I never thought this day would come," he said. "I am asking this board for mercy."
Background information
According to Whitman County prosecutors, Downing broke into a woman's home in downtown Pullman in 2003. According to court documents, the woman was home alone sleeping when she heard the floor creaking. Her bedroom door was opened and Downing allegedly pointed a gun at her, asked if anyone else was home and proceeded to sexually assault her multiple times.
The prosecutor said Downing told the victim he would be back in Pullman in two months, warning her not to report the assault to anyone because "he knew people."
Months later in 2004, court documents state Downing broke into another apartment with two women inside. One of the women reportedly grabbed a knife, but dropped it when she realized Downing was holding a gun.
He then tied up one woman and sexually assaulted the other, according to court documents.
The Pullman Police Department held on to DNA evidence collected at the crime scenes for 18 years. Eventually, new technology made it possible for investigators to enter the DNA into a genealogy database and developed a profile that led to Downing.
"The survivor's remarkable courage and fortitude made this outcome possible," Dan LeBeau said. "I am grateful for their support of this resolution which will spare them having to recount their assaults at trial. I will argue for the maximum penalty allowed by law under his guilty plea."