Man sentenced to 4 terms of life in prison for raping woman in Scottsdale park

PHOENIX — A Valley man was sentenced to four terms of life in prison plus an additional 20 years after being convicted of raping a woman in a Scottsdale park, prosecutors announced Monday.

James Morris, 49, was sentenced Friday after being convicted of four counts of sexual assault, two counts of sexual abuse and one count of robbery for the crime, which happened in July 2023, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO).

He was sentenced to life in prison for each of the sexual assault charges, 10 years for the robbery charge and five years for each of the sexual abuse charges.

Morris also received a life sentence on Friday for an aggravated assault conviction that stemmed from a June 2023 incident where a woman was stabbed in a park in Glendale.

The sentences will be served consecutively, according to court documents.

Details of rape in Scottsdale park that led to man being sentenced to life in prison

In July 2023, a 19-year-old woman was in Civic Center Park in Scottsdale with her 16-year-old boyfriend late at night, according to MCAO.

That’s when Morris approached the couple and accused the woman of being a pregnant prostitute who owed him money.

The couple tried to give Morris some money to get him to go away, but he refused to leave. He threatened the couple and then raped the woman as her boyfriend watched, prosecutors added.

Morris also stole the woman’s ring, necklace and bracelet.

The couple was able to give detectives from the Scottsdale Police Department a description of the suspect, which led to Morris being identified as the culprit.

Morris was taken into custody on the day of the assault and was found wearing boxers that were stained with the woman’s blood, according to MCAO.

Prosecutors added that Morris’ DNA was found on the woman.

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