BENTONVILLE -- A Siloam Springs man was sentenced to 15 years in prison after admitting he sexually assaulted a woman and caused her death.
Austin Lance Grammer, 19, pleaded guilty Thursday to second-degree sexual assault, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence, all felonies. He also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor negligent homicide.
The plea came under a agreement Carly Marshall, deputy prosecutor, reached with Doug Norwood, Grammer's attorney.
Grammer was arrested Feb. 17. Police found Leslie Perry, 20, of Siloam Springs dead at 235 Meadow Court in Siloam Springs that same day, according to court documents. Grammar lived at the apartment.
Grammer told police Perry was his friend and he was going to ask her to be his girlfriend, according to the five-page probable cause affidavit.
Grammer told police he found Perry after he returned from work on Feb. 17, but he later admitted he didn't get to work, according to the affidavit.
Grammer said Perry came to his apartment between 10 and 11 p.m. Feb. 16, and they slept the entire night. Grammer said he woke up around 7:45 a.m. Feb. 17. He said Perry was snoring, according to the affidavit.
Grammer said he slept until 10:45 a.m. and woke up to Perry's ringing phone, according to the affidavit. He silenced the phone and said he was unsure if Perry was breathing then. He said he went back to sleep until 2 p.m. and checked on Perry around 3 p.m., according to the affidavit.
Surveillance video from Gas Station III and a sales receipt show Grammer purchased sour gummy worms, condoms and an energy drink at 6:15 p.m., according to the affidavit.
He went home and cleaned for a while and finally called 911 around 9:30 p.m., according to the affidavit.
Marshall told Benton County Circuit Judge Brad Karen that Grammar engaged in sex acts with Perry while she was physically incapable of consent and that he physically mistreated Perry's corpse. Grammer negligently caused Perry's death and attempted to destroy, alter and conceal evidence at the scene.
NW News on 09/01/2017