This archive report was first published on 3 July 2021.
On July 1, 2021, a Johnston County jury delivered a guilty verdict in the case of Joseph Ngigi Kariuki, a Kenyan man who worked at the Smithfield Assisted Living Center in North Carolina.
Kariuki was arrested on December 19, 2019, for the rape of a 79-year-old patient at Brookdale Senior Living on Berkshire Road in Clayton, North Carolina.
The jury found Kariuki guilty of first-degree forcible rape, and he was sentenced to serve a minimum of 20 years to a maximum of 29 years in state prison by Superior Court Judge Clair Hill.
The victim, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, died before the trial took place. Prosecutors said the victim's family members were shocked and traumatized by the brutal assault of their loved one.
Assistant District Attorney Caitlin Slavin stated, 'The Johnston County District Attorney's Office is pleased with the verdict and the sentence imposed. We hope that this helps restore some measure of dignity to this incredible lady whose life was full of such tremendous love.'
Brookdale administrators released a statement saying, 'We are saddened by these allegations, as having the trust of our residents and their families is extremely important to us.'
Police charged Kariuki with second-degree forcible rape and held him in the Johnston County jail under a $100,000 bond.
