ORANGE COUNTY, Fla.,None — Pictures and duct tape took jurors inside a MetroWest apartment on Wednesday, where a woman was terrorized. Two cousins are accused of attacking at least four women in 2009.
The two are on trial for one of those cases.
"Those are hairs stuck in tape, correct?" a prosecutor asked a witness.
The victim's hair is still stuck to the duct tape that prosecutors said the suspects used during their attack. Jurors also saw the zip ties allegedly used to restrain her inside her MetroWest apartment.
But the duct tape could be the most incriminating. Prosecutors said there are two significant things on it: the victim's hair and Timothy Thomas's fingerprint. That is evidence that focus's more on Thomas and less on Patrick Maxwell, his younger cousin and alleged partner in crime
Thomas and Maxwell watched intently as Thomas's former girlfriend testified about the items.
"They had a black back pack that they carried. One of them would carry it at a time. It was always in my car or where we were staying and it had zip ties in it, the big ones and duct tape," said witness Courtney Waggoner.
Evidence photos show the backpack was found in a car driven by Thomas. Under the hood of the vehicle was a yellow bag with a black ski mask inside.
According to Waggoner's testimony, Thomas told her his friends had broken into a woman's home, tied her up, and robbed her. But prosecutors said he was actually talking about himself. They said Thomas's fingerprint was even found on the duct tape.
The two men are on trial for a violent home invasion and attempted rape in MetroWest two years ago. But detectives said they are responsible for several attacks between January and March of 2009, including home invasions, rapes and attempted rapes that terrorized women in the area for months.
Thomas is now 24 years old and Maxwell 19 years old. They both could be facing life in prison if convicted.
Previous Stories: April 26, 2011: Victim Takes Stand In MetroWest Rape Case April 25, 2011: Trial Set To Begin For Cousins Charged In MetroWest Rapes
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