Man Found Guilty Of Kidnap, Rape Kelley ‘Looking At A Lot Of Time’ Over Standoff

Mark Kelley raped a 15-year-old girl and held her hostage during a standoff with police last year, a Spokane County jury decided Wednesday.

After more than eight hours, jurors rejected Kelley’s defense that he had consensual sex with the girl and never forced her to stay barricaded with him at her North Side home.

He was found guilty of first-degree rape, first-degree kidnapping and second-degree assault. All three charges will carry at least five additional years in prison because a weapon was involved.

“He’s looking at a lot of time,” said defense attorney John Nollette. “A lot of time.”

Kelley, 32, was arrested Dec. 3, 1995, after a six-hour standoff with police. He showed up at the victim’s North Altamont home for a party the night before, but witnesses said he acted violent and fired a gun twice in the house.

When her friends left, the victim testified Kelley held the gun to her head and ordered her to take off her clothes. She said he then raped her.

Her friends called police, who surrounded the home and tried to get Kelley to surrender. He was wanted on two unrelated warrants, one for child rape and another for armed robbery.

During closing arguments in the weeklong trial Tuesday, Nollette asked jurors to consider Kelley’s comments to a television reporter who interviewed him during the standoff.

The recorded telephone interview has Kelley and the girl talking casually with each other, Nollette said. At one point on the tape Kelley tells the reporter he is concerned for the girl’s safety.

“If you’re holding somebody hostage at gunpoint you don’t say, ‘Do you have a pencil please?”’ Nollette said. “You don’t say, ‘I’m worried about you.”’

Deputy Prosecutor Carol Davis was clearly angered that Kelley accused the victim of lying.

“This was a disgusting act for that girl,” Davis said. “If she’s making this up it’s been one heck of a lie for her.”

While jurors believed the victim, they acquitted Kelley of attempting to rape a second girl who also was at the party. They found him guilty of unlawful imprisonment instead, a lesser charge.

Kelley stared blankly at Judge Michael Donohue while the verdicts were read Wednesday, then gulped a cup of water in his seat next to Nollette.

As he was handcuffed and led back to jail, Kelley mouthed, “I love you” to a teary-eyed young woman in the courtroom.

Kelley’s victim was not in the courtroom. A sentencing date has not been set.

The case received attention last month when a Superior Court judge dropped the charges against Kelley over a violation of his right to a speedy trial. The judge later reversed his decision.

, DataTimes