BREAKING NEWS: Suspect in beatings, rape nabbed Tuesday in Plaquemine

After a four-day manhunt, U. S. Marshals and an Iberville Sheriff's deputy arrested a man Plaquemine man wanted in the beatings of a middle aged couple and the rape and beating of a young teen, Chief Criminal Deputy Stephen Engolio reported Tuesday morning.

They found Stevenson Lee Marshall, 28, at a relative's residence in Plaquemine at 11:50 p.m. Monday and booked him on three counts of attempted murder and one count of aggravated rape in connection with the attacks last Thursday night, Engolio said.

The three victims of the attacks remained hospitalized in stable condition in Baton Rouge, the chief deputy said Tuesday. The beatings resulted in broken bones for all three, bleeding in the brain and “a lot of blood loss,” Engolio said.

Marshall is accused of beating the couple at their home on La. 405 in the Dorseyville area. Marshall stopped in front of their home and told the man he was having trouble with his truck, Engolio alleged. He said Marshall attacked the man, then went inside the house and beat up the woman.

Deputies had found no motive for the beatings; it does not appear to have been a robbery, the chief deputy said.

He said deputies pieced together information from the victims and witnesses who saw Marshall in the area around 9:30 p.m. Thursday to establish the suspect's identity.

About an hour later, a plant security guard found the rape victim, bound hand and foot, in the cab of Marshall's truck, which broke down, on the side of La. 988 (River Road in north Plaquemine), with the rape victim, bound hand and foot, in the cab, Engolio said.

“Thank God, it broke down because I don't know what his intentions were,” he said.

The rape victim, who also was badly beaten, knew her attacker, the chief deputy said. He would describe her only as an Iberville Parish girl in her early teens.

The Sheriff's Office put out a call over the weekend for help in locating Marshall, who is described as a black man, six feet one in height and weighing 195 pounds. He is considered dangerous, Engolio said. He said the office received several calls, but none panned out until Monday night.

The officers were checking the suspect's known residences and those of his family members when they found him and arrested him without incident, Engolio said.

Marshall's last known address was 23929 Harmason Street, Plaquemine.