By Staff
Melissa Cason, Franklin County Times
A Franklin County jury found a Russellville man not guilty of first-degree rape after deliberating just over an hour.
Doug E. Allen was found not guilty to the charge of rape, and first-degree burglary late Friday afternoon.
"I was falsely accused," Allen said at the trial's conclusion.
Allen was charged with rape after a victim filed a complaint nearly 72 hours after the alleged rape occurred. There was no physical evidence of that it occurred, according to trial testimony.
The Franklin County District Attorney's Office contended that Allen entered the victim's home between two and three in the morning of Oct. 29, 2005 for the sole purpose to rape her.
However, defense attorney John Benn showed that Allen was with his girlfriend, Karen Woods, without interruption from midnight to 5 a.m.
The jury heard testimony until 4:20 Friday afternoon before entering into deliberations. The jury came to a not guilty verdict less than two hours after the deliberations began.
Allen was incarcerated in the Franklin County Jail on a bond revocation based on the rape charges filed by the alleged victim, Franklin County DA Joey Rushing said.
Allen was released Friday evening on his Community Corrections bond on a robbery charge that is still pending, Rushing said.
"We appreciate the jury's consideration of the evidence, and we respect their decision," Rushing said.
Rushing concluded by saying that state did all that they could, and that this case was very tough considering the lack of forensic evidence.