On May 14, 2024, a Yavapai County Jury found a Cottonwood man, Ryan Lee Eppinger, guilty of two counts of Sexual Assault, two counts of Attempted Sexual Assault, Kidnapping, and Burglary in the Second Degree.
The Cottonwood Police Department’s investigation revealed that the 24-year-old Eppinger entered his ex-girlfriend’s home while she slept. Eppinger admitted keeping the victim in her bedroom for more than three hours, covering her mouth while she screamed, taking her phone so she could not call for help, and demanding sexual acts. Eppinger then sexually assaulted the victim before finally leaving.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 21, 2024, at 1:30 pm. before the Honorable Thomas K. Kelly of the Yavapai County Superior Court. Eppinger is facing between 10.5 calendar years and 52 years in prison.
“All of us have a right to feel safe in our own homes. Heinous crimes such as this, which violated not only the sanctity of the victim’s home but also her own safety and well-being, will not be tolerated in this county,” Yavapai County Attorney Dennis McGrane stated. “People who gratify their own sexual urges by victimizing others need to be locked away from society for as long as possible. I hope that the lengthy sentence that Mr. Eppinger will receive brings some comfort to his victim and discourages anyone else from doing anything as despicable as this in Yavapai County.”