OCEAN CITY — The last of three defendants in a June 2017 rape case in Ocean City was sentenced last week to 20 years in prison and, like his co-defendants, will be under a lifetime of sex offender supervision.
In January, Larry Kendall, 45, of Elkton, Md., was convicted of second-degree rape for his role in the June 2017 incident in Ocean City. Kendall entered an Alford plea to second-degree rape. In an Alford plea, a defendant acknowledges the state has enough evidence to prosecute the case.
Back in court last Friday, Kendall was sentenced to 20 years in prison with no time suspended. In October, Kyle Davis, 22, of Elkton entered an Alford plea to second-degree rape in the incident. In January, Davis was sentenced also sentenced to 20 years.
A third defendant, Damien Shiel, 24, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to second-degree rape in October and was sentenced in January to 20 years with five years suspended for a net of 15 years. The defendants will be required to register as Tier III sex offenders.
The investigation began when the female victim reportedly told police she had been vacationing in Ocean City in June 2017 with Davis; his uncle, Kendall; and his friend, Shiel. During the vacation, the three men acted together to overpower the victim in their shared hotel room and each of them forced her to engage in sexual acts with them against her will.
Investigators traveled across the state to interview witnesses and obtain medical records. Detectives also obtained Facebook messages between the victim and Shiel, along with incriminating statements by Davis and Shiel. Worcester County State’s Attorney Kris Heiser thanked the Ocean City Police Department and Detective Perry for the excellent police work and Assistant State’s Attorney Karen Dean, who prosecuted all three cases.
“The bravery of this young woman in reporting these offenses, combined with the relentless efforts of investigators and prosecutors to build a strong case has allowed us to hold these predators accountable,” she said. “We are proud to have secured the maximum allowable penalty due to our advocacy on behalf of the victim, and we will continue to work hard to obtain justice for every victim in every case.”
