Man to stand trial for rape of Penn student

Marvin Johnson, 34, was arrested in April on rape and burglary charges. and Eric Tucker Marvin Johnson, the 34-year old man accused of raping a Penn junior in her Center City apartment last month, has been ordered to stand trial on charges of burglary, criminal trespass, rape and other sexual offenses by a Municipal Court judge, according to Assistant District Attorney Deborah Nixon. The victim testified at a preliminary hearing last Thursday that an unknown man entered her apartment at about 4 a.m. on April 9, raped her repeatedly, threatened to kill her and stole a credit card and several personal belongings upon leaving. Johnson, who police said has been arrested numerous times and has been out of jail for three years, will enter a formal plea of not-guilty at the arraignment -- scheduled for June 10, Nixon said. Johnson was arrested and charged with rape and related offenses after he allegedly used the victim's credit card at a nearby convenience store. Fingerprints and semen found in the victim's apartment linked Johnson to the crime scene, according to Nixon. Johnson allegedly entered the victim's apartment by cutting a hole in a window screen and climbing through an unlocked window on the first floor. Two nights after the rape, Johnson allegedly burglarized a first-floor apartment on the 1900 block of Spring Garden Street. Robert Webster, who lived in the apartment, testified on Thursday that he could easily identify Johnson because of his "bulging eyes," Nixon said. Nixon, who praised Thursday's witnesses -- including several civilians and numerous police officers -- for having "testified quite clearly," explained that she was "cautiously optimistic" that the defendant would be found guilty of all charges. "I think the evidence is very compelling," Nixon said. After issuing a warrant for Johnson's arrest, police received about 45 tips as to his whereabouts, including the tip which led them to his home on the 2000 block of East Ontario Street. After Johnson refused repeated requests to open the door, a SWAT team forced open a side-door and Johnson turned himself in without incident. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Friday that police found a purse, camera and jewelry belonging to the victim inside Johnson's home. The victim called 911 after the assault and was transported by police to the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Special Victims Unit Lt. John Henfry, who led the investigation, said last month that she did not suffer any other physical injuries. Police at first believed the incident was tied to the still-unsolved May 1998 killing of Wharton doctoral student Shannon Schieber, who was strangled to death in her apartment only blocks away from the location of last month's rape. However, DNA tests later ruled out any connection to Schieber's killing.

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