A Fayetteville man received a life sentence after being convicted of rape, aggravated assault and false imprisonment by a Fayette County jury earlier this month.
The guilty verdicts came down May 1 against Marques Slaughter after about one hour of deliberation, according to a spokesperson for District Attorney Marie Broder’s office. Superior Court Judge Scott Ballard sentenced Slaughter to life with the possibility of parole, followed by 20 years to serve in custody.
Detective Tortorello with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant District Attorney Monique Harris represented the State at trial.
“I am extremely proud of Monique and her team and the work of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office to bring justice to this victim,” said District Attorney Marie Broder. “These cases are difficult for a myriad of reasons, and I am honored to say that my team fights for the victims even in hard cases.”
The victim, a 24-year-old female, testified that in October of 2022 she met the defendant through a mutual friend on Instagram. They began communicating via social media and on the phone before beginning a relationship in November of that year.
The victim expressed to the defendant her wish not to engage in sexual intercourse until she was married; at the time, he respected those wishes. But in February of 2023, while at his home in Fayetteville, the defendant forced himself on the victim. He “held her down by the neck, restrained her hand, and vaginally penetrated her against her will,” according to the statement by Broder’s office.
After making her take a shower, he told her it felt good and he wanted to do it again. Then he forced her a second time.
He refused to take her home until she agreed to participate in recorded videos where she was instructed to say that it was consensual and that she loved him. He also forced her to take videos of her punching him.
Once the defendant finally took her back to her home in Snellville, she told her mother what happened. She contacted law enforcement and was taken for a sexual assault examination at the Southern Crescent Sexual Assault Center. The registered nurse performing the examination noted several injuries to her neck, arm and vaginal area that all together were consistent with forced sexual intercourse.
Detective Tortorello with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office executed an arrest warrant for the defendant and during a subsequent interview, the defendant admitted to having sexual intercourse with the victim but stated that it was consensual. At trial, the State presented jail recordings where the defendant contacted the victim several times and apologized. He also offered her money not to come to court and gave several excuses for his actions.
The State also presented testimony of a previous victim from a case prosecuted in DeKalb County. That victim testified that in 2015, Slaughter, with the assistance of another male, held her down and forced her to engage in sexual intercourse with him at his home. At trial, a former DeKalb County detective testified that Slaughter admitted to having sexual intercourse with that victim but again alleged that it was consensual.
