Convicted rapist found guilty in UW burglary, kidnapping
SEATTLE -- The registered sex offender on trial for breaking into a University District home last year and holding six women at knifepoint was found guilty of nine felony charges on Wednesday.
Robert D. Hitt was convicted of first degree burglary, two counts of first degree robbery and six counts of first degree kidnapping, all with deadly weapons enhancements.
Hitt broke into the U District home in the early hours of March 5 and rounded up six of the eight University of Washington students who lived there.
He held the woman -- all aged 19-21 -- at knifepoint and forced them onto the floor, where police say he taped their hands behind their backs.
When he ran out of tape, he tore a lamp cord from the wall and used it to tie up the rest of the women, according to a victim. At one point, Hitt forced a woman to take off her clothes, police said.
A woman who was hiding in another room managed to call 911 before Hitt found her, and police rushed to the house. Officers heard screaming when they arrived and arrested Hitt at the scene.
Hitt had been released from prison just two months earlier after serving 10 years for a rape he committed in 2001. He had been classified as a low risk to re-offend and was under the supervision of the state Department of Corrections.
The burglary and one of the kidnap charges include sexual motivation aggravators, which means Hitt will face a life sentence under the state's "Two Strikes" law for repeat sex offenders, according to prosecutors.
A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Robert D. Hitt was convicted of first degree burglary, two counts of first degree robbery and six counts of first degree kidnapping, all with deadly weapons enhancements.
Hitt broke into the U District home in the early hours of March 5 and rounded up six of the eight University of Washington students who lived there.
He held the woman -- all aged 19-21 -- at knifepoint and forced them onto the floor, where police say he taped their hands behind their backs.
When he ran out of tape, he tore a lamp cord from the wall and used it to tie up the rest of the women, according to a victim. At one point, Hitt forced a woman to take off her clothes, police said.
A woman who was hiding in another room managed to call 911 before Hitt found her, and police rushed to the house. Officers heard screaming when they arrived and arrested Hitt at the scene.
Hitt had been released from prison just two months earlier after serving 10 years for a rape he committed in 2001. He had been classified as a low risk to re-offend and was under the supervision of the state Department of Corrections.
The burglary and one of the kidnap charges include sexual motivation aggravators, which means Hitt will face a life sentence under the state's "Two Strikes" law for repeat sex offenders, according to prosecutors.
A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Hopefully this time they will simply execute this freak of nature and be done with it!
People like him who think they have the right to terrorize and victimize women need to be locked up for life. It has been proven time and time again that when someone is this deranged, rehab is not effective. When he gets out, I guarantee you that there will be more victims.
Make each sentence be served consecutively verses concurrently That should
extend his total sentence at least a day or two here in the state of Washington. .
Sadly, my poor attempt at humor may be closer to reality in many such cases,
this one included.
AKJohn. Totally agree with you.
You can get more time in prison for being caught smoking pot in public then attacking/raping numerous young women.
Sad.
Too bad the eight student nurses in Chicago killed by Richard Speck in 1966 did not have cell phones to call 911 too. Could have completely messed up a Simon & Garfunkel song in a good way.
@JLS1950Cellphone huh? This pretty much sums up phones.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=qyoLuTjguJA#t=266s
@NW-Economist @JLS1950 WTF does John Snozzle have to do with cell phones?
And what did either this crime of that of Richard Speck have to do with guns or gun control?
This is like confusing your bank balance for your driver license number...!
@JLS1950You didn't watch the brief few seconds that it was linked to in the time index, did you? Cool thing about youtube is that not only can you link to videos, but you can link to that at specific times OF the video.
Click the link and watch the video, maybe you'll get it. Or if you're too lazy or stupid to manage that, I'll sum it up for you here, this is what the video says:
"Which would you rather have, a telephone or a gun if someone was  breaking into your house? You can the police, and they'll eventually get there, and they'll take a picture of your body and the crime scene, but they cannot get there in time to save you. You are the first line of defense for yourself."
@komonews great!!! Hang him
So he will probably get what? 20 years maybe? That means in washington he should be eligable for parole in 6 months.
http://www.besthandgunsforwomen.com/
Problem solved
Someone needs to tell Rep. Salazar about this, his advice was that these women shouldn't ever want to be armed, all they need are rape whistles and safe zones, you know, like their RESIDENCE...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=qe2vjMWConI#t=18s
What were the other women doing while one of them was getting tied up? Sitting and waiting for their turn?
people may train physically for violence but not mentally I have been attacked at night a knife blade looks bigger in low night. people must train mentally as well as physically to stop a criminal. Look up chris newsom and channon christianson in knoxville tenn.
Life. Put this monster away for life. If it were up to me, sexual predators would get one chance. They offend again, if their victim is a child, or if they have more than one victim they need to go away for life. Period. Sadly the (in)justice system feels they need to be given a hug and are asked nicely not to do it again...
Whats the over/under on his sentence? (keep in mind its Washington State)
I think I saw a movie or something with this very similar situation, a guy holding campus women hostage, etc. Â The movie was quite a few years ago though.Â
@ETSubmariner It was probably a movie about Richard Speck, who raped and killed several nursing students living together in a house. One was able to hide under a bed and he didn't notice her. When he was gone, she was able to get out and call the police. Richard Speck was given several life sentences and died a few years ago in prison.
Wow, a life sentence means out in 8 years in nanny state justice...