Tulsa World: Witness: Accused killer also tried to rape stepdaughter

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Witness: Accused killer also tried to rape stepdaughter

Jerry Raney heads for the elevator during a break from court proceedings during Day 1 of the preliminary hearing for the murder trial of his stepdaughter, at the Muskogee County Courthouse, in Muskogee, on Monday. CORY YOUNG/Tulsa World

By SUSAN HYLTON World Staff Writer
Published: 2/2/2009 1:23 PM
Last Modified: 2/2/2009 8:37 PM

MUSKOGEE — Sara Smart’s stepfather had tried to rape her and was threatening to kill her in the week leading up to her murder, according to testimony in a preliminary hearing Monday.

Jerry Raney, 44, is charged with first-degree murder his stepdaughter’s death by strangulation on Jan. 30, 2006.

The 19-year-old’s body was stuffed into a 55-gallon barrel, thrown in a pond near Haskell and discovered six months later.

The prosecution called five witnesses Monday and has dozens of other witnesses that may be called to the stand though at least Wednesday.

Ashley Saine testified that Smart, her best friend from high school, called her and was crying hysterically three days before her death. Saine said Smart told her about the attempted rape and death threat.

“She said Jerry threatened to kill her and her mother,” Saine said.

Michelle Stamper, who met Smart in 2005 while both were being treated at a drug rehabilitation center, said that Smart told her that Raney had been raping her since she was 16.

“She said he’d kill her if she told and place her body in a barrel and put it where her body would not be found,” Stamper said.

James Groover testified that he was following deer tracks with his brother near his pond when he stumbled upon a steel barrel he recalled seeing earlier that spring.

“I didn’t have any equipment to reach it. The only way to reach it would have been to wade knee-deep in mud,” Groover said.

But the weather had been dry that summer, and the barrel was now against the pond bank where he could get to it, he said.

There was an odor coming from the barrel, and through a hole Groover said he saw something that looked like it could have been a calf or other animal. He pried off the lid, found human remains and called the sheriff, he said.

On the morning Sara Smart disappeared, Raney was seeing to it that people knew he had an alibi, testified Mike Gioletti, who worked with Raney at a car-repair business in Muskogee.

Gioletti said that Raney’s disposition was out of character the day Smart disappeared and Raney arrived at work about 9 a.m.

Raney believed that something had happened to his 19-year-old stepdaughter, but he didn’t say why, Gioletti said.

“He was kind of nervous acting and wanting to know if Sara called,” Gioletti testified. Gioletti said Raney said he had dropped off Smart at a McDonald’s that morning and was trying several times in Gioletti’s presence to reach her on his cell phone.

In addition, Raney added to Gioletti that he had been to the bank and a convenience store that morning and knew he would be on the surveillance video.

“Why was he telling you this?” District Attorney Larry Moore asked.

“In case something happened to her,” said Gioletti, confirming to the court that Raney used the word “alibi.”

The pond was situated on property owned in January 2006 by Joe Bryce, formerly a close friend of Raney’s, and Laura Morris, Raney’s now ex-wife and Smart’s mother.

Bryce said the families visited each other at their homes often.

Groover bought the property and took possession of it on Feb. 2, 2006.

When Gioletti found out where Smart’s body was found, he said he was convinced Raney was the one who killed her.

“I told Jerry he was going to jail because of where they found the body — in his girlfriend’s pond,” Gioletti said. “I was convinced he was the one who killed her.” Gioletti said Raney laughed in response and denied being her killer.

The “girlfriend” was Bryce’s then-wife Amanda Bryce.

Joe Bryce testified that his wife had been having an affair with Raney. When they divorced, she moved in with Raney and was married to him briefly. By SUSAN HYLTON World Staff Writer

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	Report Comment Mistic_wolf, tahlequah (2/2/2009 1:28:53 PM) I hope he gets life!!
	Report Comment M_Conners, Tulsa (2/2/2009 3:10:49 PM) What a low life.
	Report Comment somewear, Yale (2/2/2009 8:04:55 PM) Why did the witness wait so long?
	Report Comment R U 4 Real?, BA (2/2/2009 8:15:09 PM) He will get all the prison rape that he will like. POS
	Report Comment okie ridgerunner, small town (2/2/2009 8:29:00 PM) Low life will get what is coming to him one way or another.his day is coming.
	Report Comment Sharkey Hammerhead, owasso (2/2/2009 8:56:45 PM) It is with most certainty this individual will reap what he has sown. Whether it be in this life or the next. What ever enables a human being do something so haneous to another human being? Let us all pray the family may now be able to move to some type of closer. God Bless them all....
	Report Comment emotional_sting, tulsa (2/2/2009 9:07:21 PM) this is not a man... he's a stain.
	Report Comment missy...m, small town (2/2/2009 9:12:24 PM) I dont know why she didnt go to her mother.Sad,or was her mother in denial?
	Report Comment paleface, Ponca City (2/2/2009 9:30:06 PM) That man is a nut case... Hope they put him in the jail house and never open the doors... How could anyone do something like that to a young girl...
	Report Comment C.R. Delough, Tulsa (2/2/2009 11:18:00 PM) scum
	Report Comment okie ridgerunner, small town (2/3/2009 8:19:30 PM) Good comments above.i will leave it at that.
	Report Comment lucky girl, (2/4/2009 11:52:58 AM) There has to be a special place in Hell reserved for those who hurt kids.

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