A convicted rapist from Garden City who is serving 12-25 years has received an additional nine months for evading his bond hearing.
Ramel Lindsay, 35, was sentenced on Monday (Jan. 29) in the 9th Circuit Court in Kalamazoo County and will serve consecutive to the sentence he received in December of 12-25 years incarceration on two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct (CSC) for the 2006 rape of a minor.
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Officials say Lindsay did not return to court the day the jury delivered its verdict in the trial on the CSC counts, and after six days on the run, he was apprehended by the United States Marshals Service.
In 2006, the 35-year-old raped a 13-year-old, whose mother reported the crime.
Interviews and a medical evaluation were conducted, but no charges were brought at the time as the sex assault kit did not produce DNA evidence.
Officials say the victim suffered severe emotional distress from the attack and the nonexistent prosecution of her attacker, leading her to believe her assault did not matter in the eyes of the community around her when authorities failed to charge her rapist, instead the victim blamed herself for not having adequately defended herself.
The Kalamazoo County Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) team contacted the victim to offer a trauma-informed and victim-centered renewed investigation of her rape in 2021.
The trial began in September of 2023, wherein her mother, brother, best friend, and a childhood camp roommate all testified to the dramatic impact the rape had on her personality and behavior.
Trial testimony established that the experience of sexual assault at age 13 transformed the victim from a friendly, outgoing, high-achieving middle school student to an angry and withdrawn high school student who struggled academically and behaviorally.
For 15 years, the victim suffered nightmares of her rape and suffered from self-blame. The Kalamazoo County jury convicted Lindsay on both charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct resulting in personal injury.
Officials say the victim provided a victim impact statement to the court in both the December and January sentencing hearings, saying,
“For 17 years, I have carried the baggage, the hurt, and the pain of this case. I can’t even begin to describe the emotional damage that has been done as a result. My whole life changed on that night of June 23, 2006. Ramel Lindsay took my entire childhood away from me and got to go on with his life as if nothing ever happened as if what he did to me didn’t matter, as if I didn’t matter.
“He’s the worst kind of predator because he inflicts traumatic experiences on women and doesn’t give it a second thought. I’m not asking for special treatment or for you to side with me, all I’m asking is for justice. Justice for the 17 years of pain, anger, embarrassment, and the emotional damage I’ve experienced by no choice of my own. I had to endure leaving my home and going to stay at a hotel with my three children because he chose not to show up that last day of trial. The entire experience made me feel helpless, scared, and victimized all over again. I have not seen any remorse or compassion from Ramel at all.”
Lindsay had been free on conditions of a personal recognizance bond since 2021 and reliably appeared for appearances before the court for two years.
Officials said Lindsay failed to appear on the day the jury was to deliver its verdict. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and when Garden City Police were unable to locate the now-convicted rapist, U.S. Marshals became involved in the pursuit.
Lindsay was arrested six days later by the U.S. Marshals Service in Detroit and brought into custody at the Kalamazoo County Jail.
The 35-year-old was sentenced to 12-25 years in December for the two convictions of first-degree CSC. That same month, He pled guilty to one count of absconding on bond.
“I am thankful for the tireless efforts of the Kalamazoo SAKI unit, the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s office, and the U.S. Marshals Service for their efforts every step of the way to bring this predator to justice,” said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. “This man’s crimes caused deep emotional wounds beyond the physical assault, and I am grateful for the victim’s courage that ultimately allowed him to be held accountable all these years later.”
“Knowing that we were able to help this survivor overcome the trauma of her assault is gratifying,” said Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting. “The work being done by the Department of Attorney General and the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s Office is extremely important. Holding sex offenders like Ramel Lindsay accountable not only helps the victim but also keeps our community safe.”
