Jury selection was to begin in the trial of a 29-year-old Buffalo man charged with breaking into a woman's home and raping her. Instead, Cornell Long has pleaded guilty to one charge of Rape in the First Degree and one count of Burglary in the First Degree.
The Erie County District Attorney's Office says on July 23, 2015 around 3:30 a.m., Long broke into the victim’s apartment through her living room window. He took a knife off of her kitchen counter and entered her bedroom, where he threatened the woman and proceeded to rape her over the course of several hours.
Later, the DA says, he fractured the victim’s nose and caused multiple bodily injuries. The victim fled to the store where she worked and her manager called 911. Long was apprehended a short time later.
Acting DA Michael Flaherty commended the bravery of the survivor:
“This case exemplifies precisely why there aren’t ‘victims’ of sexual assault; there are survivors. The survivor in this case demonstrated incredible courage and poise, withstanding a brutal and horrific attack in her own apartment, and then having the wherewithal to flee to safety," he said. "By finding the courage not only to survive the attack, but to come forward and hold the rapist accountable, she has taken the power back.”
Long will be sentenced in State Supreme Court on August 23.
