Tuen Lee: ‘Bad breath rapist’ found in California after 17 years on the run

Published

4 months ago

May 30, 2024

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A fugitive dubbed the “bad breath rapist” has been detained 17 years after fleeing his conviction for raping a coworker.

Tuen Kit Lee was found guilty in 2007 of kidnapping and raping a young woman in her home south of Boston, Massachusetts, but went on the run before he could be sentenced.

Lee, who wore a mask during the attack, was identified partly by his victim recognising the smell of his breath and officers kept the case alive in the media with appearances on America’s Most Wanted.

He was arrested on Tuesday after he was spotted leaving a “multi-million dollar residence” near Oakland in California with his partner, who didn’t know his history.

“His female companion, after 15 years of being together in California, never knew who he really was,” said a Massachusetts State Police statement.

After images surfaced on social media of a man believed to be Lee, investigators were able to track him to California’s Contra Costa County, according to the US Marshals Service.

When officers pulled his car over, Lee initially gave a false name but confessed his true identity when pressed, with fingerprints confirming who he really is.

Lee is being held by police in California, pending his expected transfer to Massachusetts.

He faces life in prison.

Investigators said Lee broke into the victim’s home on 2 February 2005 and raped her at knifepoint.

“He was ultimately identified by DNA and his horrible breath, which produced the nickname ‘The Bad Breath Rapist’,” state police said.

“There are violent offenders out there who believe they can commit crimes and not be held accountable for their actions,” said Sean LoPiccolo, acting commander of a US Marshals task force.

“Tuen Lee was on the run for more than 16 years and the unwavering dedication by law enforcement to locate and arrest him hopefully brings peace of mind to the victim and her family.”

US

Will a second Trump assassination attempt shift the polls?

Published

11 hours ago

September 20, 2024

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Will a second Trump assassination attempt shift the polls?

With seven weeks to go until the US goes to the polls, Sky’s dedicated team of correspondents goes on the road to gauge what citizens in key swing states make of the choice for president.

This week they focus on the second assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

Mark Stone travels to Florida where the foiled attack took place, while James Matthews has been finding out more about the suspected would-be assassin in his hometown of Greensboro, North Carolina.

Plus, Martha Kelner attended a Trump town hall in Flint, Michigan, to hear him speak for the first time after the attempt on his life, and asked voters if it will impact the way they vote in November.

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Producer: Rosie Gillott
Editor: Philly Beaumont

US

‘All it could do was spin in circles’: Previous Titan sub passenger says his mission was aborted

Published

14 hours ago

September 20, 2024

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'All it could do was spin in circles': Previous Titan sub passenger says his mission was aborted

A previous Titan submersible dive to the Titanic was aborted due to an apparent mechanical failure, one of the mission’s passengers has said.

Fred Hagen had paid a fee to go on a dive in the Titan in 2021, two years before it imploded and killed all five passengers onboard.

He told a US Coast Guard panel investigating the tragedy on Friday that his trip was aborted underwater when the Titan began malfunctioning and it was clear they weren’t going to reach the Titanic wreck site.

“We realised that all it could do was spin around in circles, making right turns,” Mr Hagen said. “At this juncture, we obviously weren’t going to be able to navigate to the Titanic.”

He said the Titan resurfaced and the mission was scrapped.

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US

Trump-backed North Carolina Republican Mark Robinson denies calling himself ‘black nazi’ on pornographic forum

Published

23 hours ago

September 20, 2024

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Trump-backed North Carolina Republican Mark Robinson denies calling himself 'black nazi' on pornographic forum

A Republican backed by Donald Trump in his bid to be North Carolina’s governor denied reports he called himself a “black nazi” on an online message board.

CNN reported Thursday that Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson posted racial and sexual comments on a pornography website more than a decade ago.

In a video posted on social media, the Republican nominee said he would not leave the race over “salacious tabloid lies”.

“We are staying in this race. We are in it to win it. And we know that with your help, we will.”

Follow the latest on the US election here

Mr Robinson also referenced the CNN report and said: “Let me reassure you the things that you will see in that story – those are not the words of Mark Robinson.

“You know my words. You know my character.”

The US outlet reported Mr Robson wrote of being aroused by a memory of “peeping” women in gym showers when he was 14.

He was also said to have used a racial slur when discussing civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, referred to himself as a “black nazi,” and said: “I’d take Hitler over any of the shit that’s in Washington right now.”

CNN said it matched details of the account on the pornographic website forum to other online accounts held by Robinson by comparing usernames, a known email address and his full name.

Sky News has not verified whether the account is linked to Mr Robinson.

Eight minutes after the report was published on Thursday, vice president Kamala Harris’ campaign started sharing videos of Donald Trump praising Mr Robinson.

One video from the campaign on X shows the former president at a March rally in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he called the lieutenant governor “Martin Luther King times two”.

“I think you’re better than Martin Luther King. I think you are Martin Luther King times two,” Mr Trump said.

Scott Lassiter, a GOP Senate candidate in a swing district in the state, called on Mr Robinson to “suspend his campaign to allow a quality candidate to finish this race”.

Mr Trump’s campaign also appeared to be distancing itself from Mr Robinson.

The ex-president did not refer to the controversy when he addressed Jewish donors on Thursday night, instead vowing to be ‘the best friend Jewish Americans ever had”.