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November sentencing date set for Columbia kidnapping and rape suspect

35-year-old Raymond Williams has been convicted in Boone County of kidnapping, rape, sodomy and two other felonies
(undated jail photo courtesy of the Boone County Sheriff’s Department website)

A man convicted of kidnapping and sexually assaulting his ex-girlfriend in Columbia in 2019 faces a potential life prison sentence.

Boone County Circuit Judge Jeff Harris has scheduled a November 3 sentencing date for 35-year-old Raymond Charles Williams of Jefferson City. Williams was convicted of five felonies after a September bench trial before Judge Harris: kidnapping, rape, sodomy, armed criminal action and domestic assault.

A bench trial is a trial by a judge, rather than a trial by jury.

The incident happened after the victim broke up with Williams the night before. Court documents also indicate Williams punched her in the face six or seven times, breaking her nose and cheek bone.

The victim says Williams had threatened to kill her many times in the past. The Columbia Police Department’s probable cause statement in the case describes Williams as “a danger to the community,” adding that he’s “aggressive and physically violent.”