It took a Denver District Court jury three hours today to determine that Luther Hill was the man who sexually assaulted a medical worker in a Kaiser Permanente bathroom nearly two years ago.
Hill was captured on video at the medical campus, and his victim, a 21-year-old woman, identified him in a photo lineup.
Hill’s mother told police that she saw her son on the news when the surveillance video aired, adding “a mother knows her son.”
Also, prosecutors told the jury in closing arguments today that 43-year-old Hill made incriminating statements when he was arrested two days after the incident, which occurred in August 2006.
“I was gonna turn myself in,” Hill said to police, according to Deputy District Attorney Simone Montoya. “I was tired.”
Hill was convicted of unlawful sexual contact, sexual assault, kidnapping and possession of cocaine. It was the second trial for Hill after a judge declared a mistrial in the first, when one juror could not convict.
Denver District Court Judge Morris Hoffman is expected to sentence Hill on Aug. 15.
Hill has a distinctive white patch of hair on the back of his head, and that characteristic was noticed by several witnesses who encountered him before and after the incident.
The victim was in a medical building restroom at 2045 Franklin St. in Denver on Aug. 3, 2006, when she was attacked.
“After work, she went to use the bathroom and smelled an awful, trashy, burning, dirty smell,” Montoya said. “She washed her hands to exit and Luther Hill grabbed her arm into that middle stall.”
Hill made the victim lift up her dress and he assaulted her.
When another person came into the bathroom, Hill put his hand over her mouth and told the woman he would kill her if she said anything, Montoya said.
“Please do not rape me,” the victim said. “I have a fiancé. Please don’t rape me.”
After the assault, Hill asked the victim to smoke crack with him. She declined.
Hill’s lawyer, Peter Hedeen argued that police had the wrong man and tainted witnesses by releasing the surveillance video to the media.
Hedeen also told the jury that the victim described a younger man and that her story about what happened was inconsistent.
Felisa Cardona: 303-954-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com
