MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A man accused of brutally raping a woman at his East Memphis home made his first appearance in court Monday.
Kelvin Montgomery, who is facing two counts of aggravated kidnapping and two counts of aggravated rape, was released from jail over the weekend on $100,000 bond.
Police say Montgomery handcuffed and gagged a woman inside his house on Willow Road a week ago, then raped, beat and choked her.
Friends of the victim say Montgomery also drugged the woman and said the attack lasted hours.
They say the only reason she survived is because she played dead and waited until Montgomery fell asleep to escape.
Neighbors say they found the woman running down the street still naked, gagged and handcuffed.
Montgomery had nothing to say outside the courtroom.
His attorney said even he doesn’t know his client’s side of the story yet.
“There are two sides to every cases and we’ll present our side in court which is where it ought to be other than the court of public opinion,” said Jerry Easter.
Montgomery was found guilty of aggravated assault back in 1997.
He will be back in court for report day next month.
Friends of the victim were hoping Montgomery would be charged with attempted murder and that he would be held on a much higher bond.
