Twilight Rapist Sentenced to Life in Jackson County

EDNA, Texas (AP) _ A former Texas prison employee suspected of being a serial rapist who targeted older women has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting a disabled woman.

The Victoria Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/oaOYS1 ) that a Jackson County jury took less than 10 minutes Friday before sentencing Billy Joe Harris.

The 54-year-old Harris was convicted last week of aggravated sexual assault. He was found guilty of attacking a 59-year-old disabled woman in Edna, about 100 miles southwest of Houston.

Jurors rejected claims by Harris that he suffers from multiple personality disorder.

Authorities say DNA samples link him to five other assaults or attempted assaults over two years in Central and Southeast Texas.

Investigators believe Harris is “The Twilight Rapist,” so dubbed because most of the attacks happened just before dawn.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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