A Greenwood man has been convicted and sentenced in the June 2013 rape of an elderly woman in her home in the Buckeye community.
Daniel Rollings, 38, 3004 Twin Lakes Blvd., Apt. 6C, was convicted by a jury Wednesday of forcible rape and burglary following a two-day trial in Leflore County Circuit Court.
Rollings was sentenced to 30 years on the rape conviction, with 25 to serve, and an additional 25 years on the burglary conviction, with 20 years to serve. Both sentences will run concurrently.
The victim, then 74 years old, had hired Rollings to perform some work on her property. When her sister gave her a ride home from work shortly after 5 p.m. on June 18, 2013, she found Rollings hidden inside her home. He forcibly raped her and fled.
The victim contacted the Leflore County Sheriff’s Department and identified her attacker by name.
Deputies arrested Rollings the next day after receiving a tip that he had been staying in the Brazil Homes subdivision. Rollings gave a statement to investigators confessing in part to the crime.
He had been free on probation following a 2000 manslaughter conviction at the time of the attack.
Assistant District Attorney Timothy Jones, the lead prosecutor on the case, said the Leflore County Sheriff’s Department did an excellent job quickly securing evidence, locating Rollings and obtaining his statement. Forensic evidence taken from the victim at the hospital and analyzed by the State Crime Lab revealed Rollings’ DNA, Jones said.
The prosecutor added that the victim provided key testimony to convict her assailant.
“The victim in the case was very brave,” Jones said. “An elderly lady, a very sweet lady, she came through and made it to court even though it was very stressful for her.”
The defense declined to call any witnesses of its own before resting its case. The jury deliberated for about 45 minutes before returning the verdict.
Jones said he was pleased with the sentence.
“We got one predator off the street,” Jones said. “If he survives prison, when he gets out, he’ll be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.”
• Contact Bryn Stole at 581-7235 or bstole@gwcommonwealth.com.
