PHILIPPI, W.Va. – A jury in Barbour County convicted a Grafton man on a charge of kidnapping, but acquitted him on three sex charges, among others.
Randall Utt stood trial, accused of binding a woman in a wooded area and forcing her to have sex in June 2018.
According to court documents, Utt was convicted on the following counts: kidnapping; wanton endangerment involving a firearm; and use or presentment of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
The jury acquitted Utt on the remaining charges: three counts of first-degree sexual assault and three counts of use or presentment of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
The jury also had to reach a verdict in the mercy phase of the trial, as kidnapping carries a life sentence in West Virginia. According to court documents, the jury recommended mercy, which would allow Utt to be eligible for parole at some point.
There is no word at this time on a sentencing date for Utt. He remains in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail awaiting his sentence.
