North Carolina man is sentenced to 20 years in prison after he drugged and sexually assaulted woman in his apartment over a 10-day period while burning her with cigarettes

A North Carolina man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in his apartment for ten days. 

William Todd Murell, 58, was found guilty of first-degree rape and felony assault inflicting serious bodily injury on November 13.  

The victim, a mother-of-three and former police officer, testified that Murell gave her alcohol and Trazodone, dragged by her arms and legs, kicked her in the head and raped her over a 10-day period between February 1 and 11, 2020.

The ordeal occurred at Murell's apartment in Asheville where police were called after receiving 911 calls from concerned neighbors and Murell himself. 

Police conducted several welfare checks, in which the victim said she was not able to ask for help for fear Murell, who was acquitted of a kidnapping charge, would escalate the abuse further. 

William Todd Murell, 58, was found guilty of first-degree rape and felony assault inflicting serious bodily injury on November 13

The ordeal occurred at Murell's apartment in Asheville (pictured) where police were called after receiving 911 calls from concerned neighbors and Murell himself

The first welfare check was requested on February 5 by the victim's estranged wife who became concerned.    

On February 6, police conducted their second welfare check after Murell took the victim to a restaurant, and concerned diners called 911.

Two days later on February 8, police conducted a third welfare check after Murell himself called 911 to report that the woman was unconscious.

When the Ashville Fire Department arrived, the victim did not ask for help or say she wanted to leave, Fox News reported. 

When asked in court why she did not communicate with responding officers the victim said, 'I've asked myself that a million times. I was so scared. I was so embarrassed.' 

The victim told the court how she was dragged by her hair, kicked, burned and sexually abused during the 10-day imprisonment. 

Two further welfare checks occurred on February 9 and 10 but did not result in a rescue.  

The victim eventually found her phone and contacted friends to help her escape the house on February 11. 

Murell also faces kidnapping and rape charges in a separate case from March 4, 2020, when he allegedly kidnapped another woman and sexually assaulted her in his home

Friends and family helped her leave Murell's residence, taking her for treatment at  Pardee Hospital.

Medical staff found the victim had a lethal blood alcohol level of 0.335 per cent, a severe brain injury and traces of barbiturates and benzodiazepines in her system. 

She also had cuts, burns and bruises throughout her body.

'She might very well have died if she hadn't gotten out that day,' Assistant District Attorney Katie Kurdys told the court during closing arguments.

Staff at Pardee Hospital presented evidence of her injuries, including a sexual assault kit and images of cigarette burns on her back and chest, among other wounds, in court last month. 

Murell also faces kidnapping and rape charges in a separate case from March 4, 2020, when he allegedly kidnapped another woman and sexually assaulted her in his home.

The victim managed to escape two days later after Murell fell asleep, when she walked to a bus shelter took a bus to a local service station and called 911.