Man accused of raping student on Mary Baldwin University campus found not guilty

STAUNTON – A jury deliberated for several hours Thursday night before acquitting a man of rape of a man accused of sexually assaulting a student in her dorm room at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton earlier this year.

The jury announced its decisions at 01:00 on Friday. Alex AJ Paxton, 24, of Shenandoah, was found not guilty of rape, kidnapping and forcible sodomy charges. The jury found Paxton guilty of felony strangulation.

In opening statements Wednesday, Staunton Assistant State’s Attorney Cassondra Baber said Paxton and the student knew each other and went to the defendant’s dormitory on Feb. 17. During the visit, Baber said Paxton became angry and physically assaulted the student. He allegedly strangled her before sexually assaulting her.

The photographs showed many bruises and scratch marks on the student’s neck.

The woman went to Augusta Health in Fishersville the next day and was examined for signs of sexual assault.

But DNA evidence was found only on his neck, where defense attorney Louis Nagy said his client had given him the “hickie.” In his closing statement, Nagy said no additional DNA evidence was found “where the DNA definitely should have been.”

There is no DNA evidence on the sheet where the alleged sexual assault took place.

Appearing in Staunton Circuit Court on Thursday, Nagy said the woman lied about the incident and made numerous inconsistent statements. He said phone messages also cast doubt on the allegations.

“He should not be believed,” Nagy told the jury.

Baber argued that the woman was raped and said that she repeatedly told Paxton “no” throughout the incident. He also reminded the jury that the victim testified that his hands felt like a “deadly grip” on his throat.

The jury took the case around 6:45 p.m. Thursday and deliberated until 1 a.m. Friday.

Paxton remains in the Middle River Regional Jail. He will be sentenced on Feb. 10 for strangulation, according to court records.

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Brad Zinn is a police, court and breaking news reporter for The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or is there something that needs to be investigated? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he) at [email protected]. You can also follow him on X (formerly Twitter).

This article first appeared in the Staunton News Leader: Trial in Staunton over, defendant not guilty of rape