After four days of trial, a verdict was reached on Thursday, Jan 11, 2024, in Grayson County concerning a case involving three sexual assault victims. The jury found 20-year-old Lazziert Gray of Denison guilty of one count each of sexual assault and burglary of habitation intending to commit another felony. Gray received a life sentence and a $10,000 fine for sexual assault, along with a 60-year prison term and a $10,000 fine for the burglary charge.
Although Gray was indicted on only one count of sexual assault, the trial revealed three confirmed victims, two of whom testified during the trial and punishment phase.
Gray had been in confinement since the assault on February 2, 2021, when he was 17 years old. At that time, police responded to a call around 3:15 p.m. regarding a female hiking on the trails in Waterloo Lake Park in Denison. An African American male, identified as Gray, approached her, pushing her down and attempting to sexually assault her. Subsequently, the same suspect threatened and forced another woman inside her Denison home, where he raped her at knife-point. During the trial, the victim testified that she was outside when Gray dragged her inside her home, raping her while holding what she believed to be a knife to her throat. The victim managed to escape and contacted the police.
Gray is mandated to serve at least 30 years of his sentence before being eligible for parole.
