A man from Florida was recently taken into custody in a forested region of Washington County following the escape of a woman he is accused of assaulting and confining in a storage container. The suspect, 40-year-old David Earl Gipson, faces charges of sexual battery, aggravated battery, and false imprisonment, as reported by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
The victim, whose identity has been kept confidential, was severely injured and required immediate medical care. Upon arrival at the scene, emergency medical services and law enforcement found her in a critical condition. According to the sheriff’s office, the victim claimed that Gipson had visited her home, quickly became enraged, and initiated the assault.
The victim further alleged that Gipson bound and gagged her, threatened her life, and physically assaulted her. He is also accused of sexually assaulting her and beating her with a handgun and a blunt object. Gipson then reportedly dragged her from her home and transported her to his residence using her mother-in-law’s vehicle. There, he continued to abuse her before confining her in a container in his yard.
Describing the victim’s condition, Sheriff Kevin Crews said, “She was naked. Still handcuffed and duct-taped around her mouth. He put a rope over her neck and tucked her legs up underneath her. If you can picture what a hog tie looks like, that’s what he did to her. She stated she got very hot and thought she was going to suffocate and die.”
The victim, however, managed to free herself by loosening her legs and kicking the plywood that was imprisoning her. She then fled from the scene. “At one point she told us that once she was away from the house, she used a tree to remove her – she’s handcuffed behind her back – she used a tree to remove the duct tape from around her mouth. At that time, she made her way to the edge of a roadway where a passerby saw her. He stopped, picked her up and immediately called 911,” the sheriff added.
In a related incident, another woman, 74-year-old Lettie Cooper Collins, who was the initial victim’s mother-in-law, was found dead and severely beaten in her home. Gipson, who has a criminal record dating back to 1999 with approximately 33 total felony charges, has been to prison eight times. His charges include multiple counts of burglary, including armed burglary, as well as arson.
Sheriff Crews, speaking on behalf of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, expressed regret for the “horrific event [that] has happened to this family.” He thanked the community for its support and patience and acknowledged the assistance of various agencies in apprehending Gipson. The sheriff’s office is also seeking murder charges against Gipson for Collins’ death. The investigation is ongoing.