An Ohio man who held a woman hostage in a "harrowing" kidnapping, torture and rape case that "shocked the community" was sentenced to up to 55 ½ years in prison.
Shane Edward Hooper, 36, pleaded guilty to several felonies, including two counts each of rape, kidnapping and assault, and one count of strangulation, prosecutors announced Thursday.
Between May 2023 and June 2023 Hooper held a woman captive at her Marion, Ohio, home and subjected her to severe physical beatings that resulted in several broken bones. "Hooper escalated his control over the victim by nailing doors and windows shut to prevent her escape and used both a baseball bat and a metal chain as instruments of torture," said prosecutors.
Hooper also inflicted "intense psychological terror, threatening to kill both her and her family."
He subsequently moved the victim to another location in Marion, where "observant individuals recognized her distress" and called 911, culminating in her rescue and Hooper's arrest, prosecutors said.
"The brave woman told us she had been praying for rescue and God answered her prayers," Marion County Prosecutor Ray Grogan said in a statement.
"Shane Hooper created a torture chamber and trapped this woman in it," Grogan added. "Now he'll be trapped in prison for at least the next 50 years."
Grogan also praised the 911 callers for their quick thinking.
"Some good citizens spoke up and their actions likely saved this woman's life," he lauded. "That's the Marion County spirit I know and love."
Grogan did not elaborate on a motive or the relationship between Hooper and the victim.
