Kidnapper Convicted after Hours-Long Assault on Girlfriend
DA Charme Allen announces that prosecutors in the Domestic Violence Unit obtained convictions against a man who assaulted and confined his girlfriend for over seven hours. Timothy Dewayne Stanton, 48, was convicted of Aggravated Assault, Domestic Assault, and Aggravated Kidnapping. Judge Hector Sanchez set the case for sentencing on May 8 where Stanton faces eight to twelve years to serve in the Tennessee Department of Correction.
In a two-day trial, Assistant District Attorneys Debbie Malone and Sean Roberts explained to the jury that on December 31, 2022, and into January 1, 2023, Timothy Stanton confined his girlfriend in a camper parked on the far side of the victim’s mother’s property. Stanton locked the door to the camper and used string to tie the door to the faucet to keep it closed. Stanton assaulted the victim from around midnight until roughly 7:30 in the morning. Stanton inflicted serious injuries on the victim that included fractures in two places on her ocular bones, three broken ribs, a concussion, and multiple lacerations to her head. Around 7:30 in the morning on January 1, Stanton took the victim from the camper to his truck to hide her so no one would see her injuries. The victim was able to run to her mother’s house on the other side of the property. Stanton fled the scene, and the victim’s son immediately took her to the hospital. Knox County Sheriff’s Office Detective Preston Huddleston along with Traci Tassey of the KCSO forensic unit documented the multiple blood stains at the scene and the string used to secure the door.
“My office handles more domestic-related warrants than any other type of crime,” said DA Allen. “The sentence in this case should give the victim a sense of peace for years to come.”
Aggravated Kidnapping is a Class B felony with a range of punishment of eight to twelve years. Aggravated Assault is a Class C felony carrying six to ten years. Domestic Assault is a Class A misdemeanor with a potential punishment of up to eleven months and twenty-nine days. Stanton has two prior felony convictions for Evading Arrest and Reckless Endangerment. Assistant Victim Witness Coordinator Cindy Vanosdale aided in the prosecution of this case.
If you have any questions, please contact Sean McDermott at 865-215-2515 or Sean.McDermott@knoxcounty.org. For more information about the District Attorney’s Office, visit our website at dag.knoxcountytn.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.