Lisa Marchesoni
Posted: Tuesday, September 22, 2009 9:50 am

Joseph M. Thomas

One man was accused of raping a 25-year-old woman multiple times while threatening her with a knife early Sunday at her Bradyville Pike home, a Murfreesboro Police detective reported Tuesday.

Detective Wayne Lawson charged suspect Joseph M. Thomas, 24, of 1331 Bradyville Pike, with four counts of aggravated rape, kidnapping, aggravated burglary and theft.

Lawson talked to the woman at Middle Tennessee Medical Center where she gave a description of the suspect she didn’t know. She reported the man knocked at her door about 3 a.m. and asked to use her phone. When he gave the phone back, she reported he attacked her.

“She states that he ‘strangled her’ until she was unconscious,” Lawson reported. “She stated that when she woke up, she was in her bedroom and the suspect had a knife and told her to get undressed. The victim stated that he raped her.”

Police spokesman Kyle Evans said after reviewing surveillance video, patrol officers and detectives identified Thomas as a suspect and brought him to the police department Monday afternoon for an interview. He gave a statement where he “admitted raping the victim multiple times and also breaking into her house the next day and taking a DVD player,” Lawson reported.

Lawson charged Thomas and booked him into Rutherford County Adult Detention Center where he is being held on $500,000 bond. A hearing is set Oct. 27 in General Sessions Court.

“This is good investigative and police work by members of the Criminal Investigations Division and patrol,” Evans said.