The Whitworthian

Issue date: 11/13/07 Last Updated: 11/15/07

A Spokane County Superior Court judge set a $150,000 bond Monday for the suspect in the rape of an Eastern Washington University student Nov. 1 near Whitworth while she was sleeping in her home.

Kevin A. Thompson, who is also an Eastern student, faces charges of first-degree rape. The 20-year-old is scheduled to appear before Judge Michael Price to enter a plea on Nov. 14.

Detectives believe Thompson entered an unlocked home on North Waikiki Road sometime after midnight Thursday and sexually assaulted a female resident inside.

According to a summary of facts filed in the case released this afternoon, Thompson told his ex-girlfriend Tiffany Renner on the night of the crime he was drunk and high on mushrooms. 

The victim told Spokane County Sheriff’s deputies she awoke to excruciating pain and saw a man standing beside her bed, who then jumped through the window.

Authorities do not believe the two students knew each other prior to the assault.

The victim told investigators she had not locked the door of her home after attending two Halloween parties because she believed some of her roommates were still out.

Detectives believe Thompson entered the victim’s unlocked home. The victim's roommate told investigators she was awakened the night of the crime by who she thought was her roommate. She called out her roommate’s name and a male’s voice answered asking where the victim’s room was. Thinking the male was a friend of the victim, she pointed to the victim’s bedroom door. 

A few minutes later, the roommate heard the sound of breaking glass.

Detectives found a pair of bloody athletic shoes and a white baseball hat just 50 yards from the home, according to the summary of facts. Photographs of the shoes and hat were released to the media and public, which ultimately led to his arrest.

According to court records, Renner told detectives Thompson called her the night of the attack asking for help saying he had gotten into a fight, had lost the keys to his car and could not find a ride home.

Renner told investigators she told her father Tom Renner about the call, who accompanied her to pick up Thompson at a home just north of the attack.

Tiffany Renner said she noticed Thompson had fresh cuts, but he refused any offers of medical aid. While driving to the Renner home, she said she noticed several Sheriff Department vehicles with emergency lights on.

After attempting to clean Thompson’s injuries, she drove him to his grandparent’s home. On the way, Thompson told her he had not gotten into a fight but met a girl in a bar and they had been drinking and had eaten some mushrooms. Thompson told her he had ended up back at the girl’s home where “all the cops were at,” according to court records.

He told her that he had hallucinated at her house and that the girl’s face had become all distorted and he had jumped out a window where he had lost his shoes, hat and car keys, according to the summary of facts.

Thompson told Detective K. Bechtold he did not remember the night before, according to the summary of facts. Bechtold reported the injuries were consistent with those of someone who had jumped through a window.

Later in the day, when Renner heard a news report of a sexual assault on North Waikiki Road she told her father who in turn called the police.

According to the records, Deputy Chad Ruff reported the victim did not show any signs of being intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.

According to the Easterner Online, Thompson attempted to walk on to the football team this fall, but an illness prevented him from joining the team.

Thompson has a minor criminal history spanning the past two years for misdemeanor offenses.

Contact Jessica Davis at jessica.davis@whitworthian.com.

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