Menu
Accused rapist charged in both Greene and Sullivan counties agrees to admit guilt in Sullivan County case
A Linton man accused of rape and child molesting in two counties was charged with several serious felonies in both Greene and Sullivan counties over a year ago. His case in Greene County is scheduled to go to trial in December, but in Sullivan County, under the terms of a negotiated plea agreement filed last week, he intends to plead guilty to child molesting and will be sentenced later this month.
William T. LaBaume, 54 at the time of his arrest, was booked into the Greene County Jail on Saturday, September 20, 2014.
He was taken into custody by then-Det. Sgt. Josh Goodman of the Linton Police Department on the first warrant that was issued for his arrest -- out of Sullivan County. A second warrant was issued for his arrest in Greene County on Monday afternoon, September 22.
Also at the time of his arrest, the address for LaBaume in jail records was 1061 N. County Road 960 West, Linton.
In Sullivan County Superior Court, LaBaume was charged with child molesting as a Class A Felony, and rape, a Class B Felony.
In Greene County Circuit Court, LaBaume was charged with three counts of rape, one as a Class A Felony and two counts as Class B Felonies.
The investigation into these cases began in July of 2014 when Sgt. Chad Crynes of the Linton Police Department received a report of sexual assaults. The officer took initial information then forwarded the information to Det. Sgt. Goodman. Within days, Goodman had interviewed the alleged victim and several other conversations followed as the investigation progressed.
LaBaume is accused of forcing the victim to have sexual intercourse with him numerous times. The alleged abuse dated back several years and allegedly continued over a long period of time. During certain time periods, abusive incidents allegedly occurred multiple times a week. The victim was allegedly coerced against their will and LaBaume is accused of being physically abusive and of threatening to kill the victim or loved ones if his demands were not met or kept a secret. The victim told the officer they feared retaliation.
The pattern of abuse including sexual abuse, physical abuse and intimidation allegedly started when the victim was a teen and continued into the victim's adult life.
The affidavits prepared by Det. Sgt. Goodman indicated the abuse suffered by the victim was severe.
In one attack that allegedly occurred in 2013, LaBaume is accused of saying he was going to kill the victim, who was fighting back, while he had a knife in his hand. In the course of the struggle, LaBaume was possibly kicked which caused him to cut himself in the groin area. The victim said he bled a lot and the carpet was cleaned in the effort to get the blood stains out. He reportedly traveled to the hospital in Sullivan for treatment.
Although the victim no longer lived at the place where the alleged attack took place, they described where the blood stains were located and Goodman and Indiana State Police Crime Scene Investigators Chris Lewis and Jason Cobb visited the location, rolled the carpet back and located stains in the carpet padding and on the wood subfloor.
Samples taken from the stains were delivered to the ISP Laboratory and the results pointed back to the suspect.
Statements made by the victim in these cases was corroborated by statements by various other witnesses who were interviewed.
The evidence in these cases includes several items of DNA evidence. Goodman, who now serves as a school resource officer, was the lead investigator in both the Sullivan and Greene county cases.
Under the terms of the agreement filed in Sullivan County, LaBaume will enter a plea of guilty to the Class A Felony count of child molesting. The other count of rape, a Class B Felony, will be dismissed.
If the agreement is accepted by the judge, LaBaume will be sentenced on October 20.
In Greene County, LaBaume's case is currently still scheduled for trial by jury starting on December 15.
The Sullivan Daily Times contributed to this story.