A New Orleans jury recently came to a verdict of not guilty in the trial of Henry, Campbell. Now 22, Campbell was accused of raping a 12-year-old relative while at an overnight stay at a cousin's home on March 5, 2013. He was arrested by police after the girl reported the attack to her school math teacher. He was 18 years old at the time of his arrest.
The accuser, who is now 16 years old, testified that Campbell entered the bedroom where she was sleeping, climbed into her bed and began caressing her. She alleged that he then pulled down her pajama pants and raped her from behind.
However, Campbell’s attorney, Gregory Carter, argued that that the state failed to meet its burden for proving that the crime occurred. In his closing argument, Carter said, “Henry Campbell did not rape (the girl). It did not happen. He's waited four years, locked in a cage, for this day to come so that he could clear his name.”
Carter asserted that the victim's mother embellished details of the rape in her statement to police four years ago. Furthermore, he claimed that NOPD detective Sgt. Akron Davis conducted an inadequate investigation of the girl's claims. In addition to the issues surrounding the investigation of Campbell’s case, Carter also contended that Children's Hospital pediatric nurse Anne Troy, came to a biased and unreliable conclusion that was directly influenced by her previous training in law enforcement and her role as a sex crime victims advocate.
Campbell was facing charges for aggravated rape, a charge that could have potentially resulted in a lifetime prison sentence.
Are you being accused of a crime you did not commit? We can help. Call (504) 267-1157, or contact our New Orleans criminal defense attorney to find out how we can assist with your case.