Vicksburg Daily News –
VICKSBURG, MS – A 69-year-old Vicksburg man has been convicted of Sexual Battery and Molesting an 8-year-old girl. The jury returned with a guilty verdict on Thursday in front of Judge Toni Terrett in the case against Elza Sanders.
Assistant District Attorney Branan Southerland represented the state and Attorney Eugene Perrier represented Sanders.
The trial officially began on Tuesday where the victim(now 17), the victim’s sister, Dr. Benton(UMMC), and Lieutenant Stacy Rollison all testified.
The victim took the stand first and gave the full story of how the information against Sanders came out. She confessed to a member of the Child Advocacy Center that her mother’s ex-boyfriend attempted to molest her but when the CAC asked has anyone had done that before, she mentioned that Sanders also sexually assaulted her a few years prior.
While on the stand, the victim told the courtroom that her mother was dating Sanders. One night her mother and sister went to a casino when Sanders came into the living room and touched her private area, according to the victim. She also testified that he drugged her into his bedroom where he had sexual intercourse with her until she forced him off and ran into another room.
The victim left the courtroom twice after breaking down in tears during her testimony. The sister of the victim also took the stand where she mentioned that she called the police after another man allegedly inappropriately touched the victim. She then found out about the past actions of Sanders shortly thereafter.
Later on in the investigation, a case worker brought the victim to Lieutenant Rollison where she identified Sanders as the perpetrator.
The video from the interview done at the CAC was played for the jury as the victim was heard explaining how Sanders sexually assaulted her.
Sanders took the stand on Thursday where he testified that he was innocent.
During closing arguments, Southerland told the jury that Sanders was more than capable of doing this crime.
“He’s now a sympathetic older man but that wasn’t him when he raped that little girl,” Southerland said.
The jury took about an hour and a half to return with a guilty verdict. Judge Terrett set sentencing for October 10.
Southerland will be asking for a life sentence.
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