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By Marshall Jones
As Tyler Stephens roamed the streets of Rutland, night after night in 2007, looking for new victims he developed a preferred taste—petite, defenseless women found walking alone, always strangers.
Of his 10 known attacks on nine different women, the tallest was 5′6″. The heaviest was 140 pounds. Stephens, the former Okanagan Sun football player known as the Rutland Rapist, was 6′1” and 175 pounds.
The details of his attacks were largely unknown until the start of his Dangerous Offender Hearing in Kelowna provincial court this morning. While the hearing deals with largely academic issues—the abilities of Corrections Canada to successfully rehabilitate him—the details of offences he pleaded guilty to show how he set about his work.
They happened at night. All were chance encounters when young women were on the streets alone; one forced to walk home after running out of gas in her car; another, a 15-year-old girl, walking home from a bus stop at 10 p.m., several women walking or taking transit buses home from late shifts at minimum wage jobs at fast food restaurants. All occurred in 2007, a time when Rutland seemed terrorized by a lone predator.
His first known assault offers context to a bizarre unexplained note from police in early statements made when Stephens was first caught—they said the first attack was never reported to police. We now know it was because the first attack was on a 27-year-old prostitute.
According to facts tendered in court, Stephens picked up the 5′2”, 132-pound woman and she directed him to her basement suite. Once there, he forced her to the floor and raped her, her telling him “whatever you do, please use a condom,” him telling her “you’re going to like it.”
It took six weeks before he would strike again and develop the pattern. He tried nine times to rape a stranger but was scared away or fought off every time.
On June 12, 2007, he broke into a basement suite after 1 a.m. The 18-year-old woman—5′2”, 132 pounds— had just returned home from work. She was going to bed, putting on pyjamas when she heard a noise. She opened her bedroom door to find a man, later discovered to be Stephens, wearing a paper bag from Wendy’s hamburger restaurant over his head. His eyes and mouth were cut out. He grabbed her in a bear hug and forced her onto her bed. When she screamed, he covered her mouth. She bit his hand, then took opportunity to scream again and send him running, crashing into her dresser and leaving the bag behind.
The bag would later prove to be crucial.
Was he frustrated by his failure? A week later, on June 19, he returned to the basement suite of his first victim, knocked on her door and when she unbolted it, he pushed his way in. This time, he wore a plastic President’s Choice bag over his face. She had her 15-month-old son with her, making her far less passive. She screamed, the child screamed and Stephens ran away.
On July 16, he attacked another woman. Details were not revealed at today’s hearing, but it was at that time he made the mistake that eventually led to his capture. More on that later.
On July 26, Stephens tried a different tack. He found his oldest victim—age 34—walking home at 3:35 a.m. after her car ran out of gas. Stephens asked her if she had a cigarette. She said no and kept walking until he jumped her from behind, both hands on her throat. He punched her in the face, breaking a tooth, then groped her. But she didn’t quit fighting and screaming until he finally fled again.
After an early morning failure, he was back at it that night, finding a 5′2”, 125-pound woman getting off a bus at 11:30 p.m. He tried something new this time, putting a cloth bag over the head of his victim instead of himself. She heard him rushing up behind her before it went dark. He put his hand over her mouth and nose, preventing her from screaming. Or breathing.
But his victims were far more resourceful than he counted on. She pretended to be unconscious so he removed his hand and went for her pants. She screamed then, and started fighting again. He picked her up by her chin and dropped her back down again, giving her two black eyes, just as a witness came to her rescue.
A man on Hardie Road heard the screams, saw the man later identified as Stephens on top of the victim, pinning her down. “Hey, what’s going on here?” the man called and Stephens ran away again.
Stephens returned to the streets two days later, finding a 5′6”, 125-pound woman walking home from work at 12:45 a.m. He tried his cloth bag again, put it over her head after surprising her from behind. Apparently learning by trial and error, this time grabbed her by the throat. When she got an opportunity to scream, she did. He grabbed her throat again and choked her, pulled at her pants and groped at her. She, too, was tougher than he may have realized as she punched him in the throat while he choked her.
What screams she managed to release seemed to have caught some attention. Lights at nearby homes came on and he fled. But no one came to help her.
On Aug. 23, he found another petite 18-year-old walking home from work at 10:30 p.m. She didn’t notice anyone else around until she heard his quick footsteps behind her. He put his arm around her neck, his hand over her mouth and dragged her off the road, onto a grassy area. He kept her from screaming this time by covering her mouth with his hand throughout the attack and punched her twice in the face, giving her a bleeding nose. She managed to scream loud enough for her mother to hear. When she came running, Stephens fled.
On Sept. 20, he started looking for easier prey, this time a 5′3”, 114-pound, 15-year-old girl. She was getting off a bus in Rutland when she noticed a man gaining on her. She quickened her pace but when she got to an area that was poorly lit, he pounced, grabbed her by the face, pushed her forward and tripped her with his leg. She screamed and tried to get up but he pushed her back down again, pushing on her face as he grabbed her breasts and vagina. As she screamed, he fled once again.
Finally, on Nov. 1 he happened upon a 17-year-old girl. She was five feet tall and just 95 pounds. She noticed him across the street, texting on a cell phone so she crossed to another street where there was more light. He caught up quickly, pulled her off the sidewalk onto some grass where he forced her to the ground and she landed forcefully on her back. By this time, news of a man attacking women in the area was well known.
“No, not me, please,” she begged. “Not me. Not me, please.”
He held her down. Believing for some reason that he would only want a virgin, she yelled “I am not a virgin” which may have had some impact. He fled.
The attacks would end shortly afterward with his arrest, though police still didn’t know the full extent of his activities. Police recovered evidence from the July 16 attack for which there are few details. He left a plastic Sportcheck bag at that scene and he was traced through a receipt in the bag.
He pleaded guilty to that offence in April 2008 and was sentenced to 10 months in prison, served under house arrest. He was still serving that sentence when police got DNA samples back from both the paper Wendy’s bag and the plastic President’s Choice bag.
They matched Stephens. He confessed to the rest of the attacks in police interrogation.
The Dangerous Offender Hearing is scheduled for three days this week and will likely be continued in May.
marshall@kelowna.com
20 Responses to “Rutland Rapist developed taste for petite, lone women”
Tags: Rutland Rapist, Tyler Stephens
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I find this in very bad taste. Nobody needs to read this and I’m quite offended you would publish this. There are young girls out there who this actually happened to. I can’t imagine how they must feel reading this!
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A new low for Kelowna.com.
I always thought there was a difference between Canadian journalists and the rag mags you get south of the border. The types of detail you include in your story is shameful, and a clear, lame ploy to entice readers.
These victims probably thanked their lucky stars the day this loser plead guilty…meaning they wouldn’t have to relive their horrible ordeal in court.
Well, lucky for them Kelowna.com is in town to ruin their day.
Good job Marshall. I hope you never feel the type of pain these women endured (and probably continue to…)
I always thought journalists asked themselves “do these details further the story?” or “am i just trying to be sensationalist.”
Disgusting.
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These poor women. I always wondered what hapened with this guy. It’s horrible to hear what the women went threw. He was obviously a terrible coward and should be designated a dangerous offender.
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Reporting the news is one thing, but printing the verbatim words of a young girl enduring a physical assault is journalistic sensationalism at its best/worst. No one needs to read a blow by blow account of what these young women went through. C’mon Marshall, you know better, and can do better than this.
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I think this is good reporting! I remember when all those attacks were happening. There were no names mentioned of the victims in this article. Women need to realize that there are men out in the world like this. I say good for all those women for fighting this creep off. So glad he is caught.
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I am sure Tyler Stephens will know how it is like to be raped and be powerless when he is sent to jail and meets his new buddy in prison Bubba.
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I am discusted to read what this creep did to these girls but only because of what happened to them, not for the reporting. This article clearly shows the wonderful straigth these woman have (and what an idiot Stephens is) and my hat goes off to them for their courage. I think it is important other people (woman especially) have a chance to read articles like this so if it ever happens to them, they know what worked in this situation….
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A fine piece of reporting. Provides much insight into what the football player was really about, and that’s what a journalist is supposed to do. Maybe a warning at the top might have been good, but even those complaining would have read it all anyway. And you know you would.
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As a dad, I am very thankful that this story tells some details. If my daughter were a little older, maybe 12 or something, I’d make sure she read this – I think its important for ALL women to read this article and learn. Knowledge gives the strength to overcome fear.
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If there was no problem with the article, why was it edited?
The exclusion of some gory details has made the story better.
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“Tam”
You got me. I’m guilty. I had a second thought about a part of the story and removed it.
Consider me responsive to the wants and needs of our readers.
Can’t wait to hear how you cover the story. What time are you on? Will you use your real name then?
Marshall Jones
Editor
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This is a news story, details are always part of a story.
I am sure there is more we need not read about that didn’t
make it to print. Some people are offended by the details.
If we just hide the nasty details of like we become insensitive to what really happens to people.
I can’t imagine how stupid one person can be to start with
There are hundreds of people who now know just why there is
an application for dangerous offender status. I hope they
put this little creep away for a long time.
Good reporting, sometimes its difficult to face the scope
of the truth, when you put it on paper, you realize the magnitude of the offence.
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I’m flattered that you think that I’m a journalist, because I know quite a few in town. Unfortunately, I’m not one. I have heard conversations about this particular story, and I can say that I know there are several reporters who don’t agree with your take on this.
I have to say that there have been several occasions that your publication has offended me, personally.
In one instance it was for being offensive to a minority group that I happen to be a member of. This time, as a human being, I felt some of the details you mentioned in your FIRST draft of the story were not needed. You seem to agree with me.
But hey…you wrote this story to get controversy. Shouldn’t you be happy that I’m commenting on it?
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@ Tam. For a person that doesn’t seem to like this site very much you sure come here a lot. News sites have to cover the good and bad. They don’t make the news, they report it. Some media have nothing better to do than blabber on about nothing, while others actually have to cover what happens in the real world. We all vote with our mouse, eyes or ears on what interests us. You mentioned you were a part of a minority group; well I think you are in the minority on this subject.
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I think everyone missed my point…which is the original version of this story was sensationalist. That story has been changed, and MAYBE the people who are commenting now never read that version. It seems to me like the first 2 comments on this particular story shared the same sentiment. The writer did, and that was changed.
And, for the record, I don’t thik everyone who contributes to this site writes stories just to stir the pot. For one, your business correspondent is fabulous.
Maybe the rest of the “journalists” on the site should stop making up numerous user names, and commenting on their own work.
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I’m not a prude, but this is just disgusting filth. You’re causing kids who have been through far more pain than anyone could imagine to endure even more pain and humiliation. Shame on y’all. No more “kelowna.com” for me.
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This article was REAL! Very well written and detailed – I wish there were more real writers out there – job well done!
Too many people are afraid of the REAL comments and happenings in our community that when these facts come out into the public view people get enraged – why? These things happen in our world, in our Country, in our City! Life isn’t all rainbows and sunshine and the best thing we can do is educate our children on events that happen and prepare them if – god forbid – these horrible things happen to them.
Hearing about these attacks and how the women fought back gave advice and tips to young women who may find themselves in this situation – I am a young women, who lived in Rutland, worked until midnight and had to walk down a dark alley to get to my door during the time of these attacks – terrified ya I defiantly was but reading about how the victims got away help me mentally prepare, just incase. Back to the educate your children part, my mom always had conversations with me and showed me what do if attacked, because she was raped as a young women and wishes someone would have educated her.
For those individuals who feel this article shouldn’t have been posted on a website due to the fact that their children may read it … have you not seen the graphic television shows or movies that they are watching these days?!?! Or even the commercials that are on the television. This article was PG rated compared to half the crap on TV.
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I read the original article and stick to my comments above…
Thank you for keeping it real and thank you for keeping us aware of what can be done in situations like this…
My heart goes out to the girls involved…AMAZING straigth!
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Thank you for reporting and updating this story. Although the details maybe too much for some to read, it leaves us with some insight as to what makes someone like Stephens tick and how hopefully justice will be served and he gets tagged as a “Dangerous Offender” and when released we all should get to know about it. As for the women, thank them all for putting up a FIGHT and hopefully letting all women if ever in that situation to do the same. This story just reinforces it in real life.
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I am the mother of one of the women that this man attacked. The detailed descriptions of the assaults given in this article have caused her great distress. The details were not needed for the general public’s consumption. General information on how to survive a potential attack is always beneficial, however, not at the expense of the emotional well-being of someone who has already been victimized. Shame on Kelowna.com.
Please continue discussion on the forum: link