Florida man charged with raping and dismembering woman face new charges After prosecutors claimed he tried to prevent the victim from testifying in his upcoming trial.
Bruce Whitehead, 54, was arrested in 2022 on suspicion of picking up a woman near a strip bar on South Orange Blossom Trail and then raping her at knifepoint, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. .
Investigators said Whitehead then bit the woman, cut her with a knife and burned her. She said she tried to stab her in the chest, but the blade of her knife fell on her hilt. She was able to escape and get her help.
Whitehead had a distinctive large forehead tattoo that read “Sacrifice,” which he tried to hide by wearing a hat. An “alert resident” spotted him anyway and called the police, who were able to arrest him.
He was charged with numerous charges, including sexual assault with a deadly weapon and physical violence, and attempted felony murder with a deadly weapon. One Orange County detective called him a “monster.”
new tampering charge
Prosecutors filed new charges of witness tampering after an assistant state attorney discovered that the inmate allegedly asked another prisoner to take care of the victim after he was released.
Investigators initially feared that Whitehead was asking the inmate to kill the victim, but it was later revealed that Whitehead offered to pay the inmate to refuse to testify against him. He said he speculated that he was trying to pay the amount. She reportedly believed that without her testimony the charges against her would be dropped.
The criminal complaint says Whitehead admitted to other inmates that he was filing new motions in the case to buy time for his co-defendants to meet with witnesses.
Whitehead is accused of giving an inmate a note containing the victim’s information, including her name and address. The inmate told prosecutors that he feared he would find someone to kill the victim if he did not comply with Mr. Whitehead’s orders.
The suspect had previously been released from prison after two doctors determined he was no longer a threat to the community.
Mr Whitehead’s trial is scheduled to begin in May.
Here are local news reports about the charges:
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