Outcome of Bruce Braggs rape, burglary trial in jury's hands

Linn County Attorney Harold Denton told jurors toda in order to believe Bruce Braggs' story they would have to believe in a coincidence of sorts.

Braggs, 33, of Cedar Rapids, testified last week he just happened to be picking up his friend in the same Kirkwood Court apartment complex on  where the victim lived in 2007, Denton said. He arrived at the same time a man was sexually assaulting the victim in her apartment and then he just happened to be apprehended nearby, wearing the shoes with tread that resembled footprints found on the victim's window ledge.

Braggs, charged with first-degree burglary and second-degree sexual abuse, is accused of breaking into a Kirkwood Court apartment and raping a 19-year-old college student June 3, 2007.

The jury went out about 10:50 a.m.

Denton said the jurors must also believe the crime lab made a gigantic mistake or mix up in the crime lab with evidence in this case.

Ray Scheetz, Braggs attorney, said there are two important things in this case - DNA evidence and eyewitness testimony.

DNA from the victim was found on Braggs' underwear but the defense's expert testified the DNA mixture from the victim and Braggs was too “perfect.” It could only be a fluke or a result of cross contamination.

The crime lab results showed the victim's DNA on a penile swab taken from Braggs but there wasn't any male DNA found on it, Scheetz said. The test should have been ran again. It didn't make sense.

Scheetz asks the jurors to use their common sense. There was no medical proof the woman was assaulted. She only had some vaginal tearing but a nurse examiner said it could have resulted from rough wiping.

Scheetz said consider the eyewitness testimony of Sheila Derrick, the victim's roommate, and the victim. The victim said her attacker was wearing a red shirt. Derrick said the man was wearing a white shirt.

Scheetz then urged the jurors not to convict Braggs because they don't like him or because he's black and the victim is white.

Denton in his rebuttal closing asked the jurors why would this woman put herself through probing medical exams and police interviews, and then want to come into court and reveal humiliating, intimate details of a sexual assault to 12 strangers if it wasn't real.