Kansas City man gets 136-year sentence in rape of 70-year-old woman

A Kansas City man on Thursday received a 136-year prison sentence for his conviction in the rape of a 70-year-old woman.

In March, a Jackson County jury convicted Jason Berry, 29, of raping the woman after forcing his way into her home in May 2014.

The jury found Berry guilty of rape, sexual abuse and burglary.

On Thursday, Jackson County Circuit Judge Kevin Harrell imposed sentences of 70 years on the rape count, 30 years on the burglary count and 30 years on the sexual abuse count.

“The sentences will be consecutive, not concurrent,” Harrell said. “Consecutive, not concurrent.”

Harrell also revoked Berry’s probation on a separate burglary charge from 2012 and invoked the six-year sentence on that charge.

“He’s a man who knows no boundaries,” said assistant Jackson County prosecutor Njeri Mwangi. “He’s a predator. He preys on women in the community.”

Berry, outside of giving short answers to the judge, made no statement to the court.

The victim did not appear, nor did she submit a victim impact statement to court administrators.

During the trial in March, an assistant Jackson County prosecutor asked the victim to point out the man who had attacked her. The woman sat silently for close to a minute, trying to maintain her composure, before finally identifying Berry, who was seated a short distance away from her at a courtroom table.

During the trial, she described how Berry forced his way into her East Side home and pushed her down on her living room couch.

Berry had denied raping the woman, and his lawyer had said there was evidence that someone else committed the crime. The jury disagreed.

Joseph Megerman, a public defender, said Berry intended to appeal the verdict and sentence.

This story was originally published June 18, 2015 at 6:07 PM with the headline "Kansas City man gets 136-year sentence in rape of 70-year-old woman."