Yesterday was the first day in the trial of Nace Paul, a Kipnuk resident accused of sexual assault.
Prosecutors allege that in the summer of 2016, Paul slipped into his victim’s home at night and tried to rape her while she slept; her four-year-old daughter was curled up in bed next to her. In his opening statement, District Attorney Stephen Wallace said that the victim screamed, and then punched and kicked Paul to get away from him. She chased him out of her house with the help of her mother and sister.
In his own opening statement, Assistant Public Defender Terrence Haas suggested that the victim and her family might not be telling the truth about what happened that night. There are facts in this case, he told the jury, that “were not available, were not provided, were hidden, and have everything to do with what was in Mr. Paul’s mind that night.”
Nace Paul is charged with one count of sexual assault in the first degree and two counts of sexual assault in the second degree, among other charges. Our reporting on this trial is ongoing.