Pulaski man convicted after three-day trial

RADFORD – A Pulaski man, Dashawn Tucker (DOB 9/10/1992), was convicted Friday, March 22, 2024, of abduction with the intent to defile, conspiracy to abduct to defile and sex trafficking after a three-day jury trial in the City of Radford.

Radford Commonwealth’s Attorney Chris Rehak said in a press release today that the multi-jurisdictional event started January 10, 2022, but ended in Henry County when authorities there responded to a 911 text for help. Deputies arrived at a desolate trailer where two young females told of being abducted and repeatedly sexually assaulted by strangers to satisfy or “work off” a monetary debt. Dramatic body camera video of the rescue was played for the jury.

Rehak said the Commonwealth presented evidence Catlyn Wilhelm owed Dashawn Tucker money, and Tucker in turn owed a cohort named Waylon Cox money. With Tucker’s debt collection efforts heating up, Wilhelm went into hiding to avoid Tucker. Tucker went hunting for Catlyn over several weeks, even going to each of her parents’ homes. With Wilhelm unable to pay the $2,000, Tucker negotiated with Cox to trade the two girls for Cox “to use” in exchange for Tucker’s debt.

Radford Food City surveillance video recorded Tucker parking in a manner to block Wilhelm’s car with his automobile and captured the three leaving together in Tucker’s automobile. Tucker directed Stephenson to drive and ordered Wilhelm into the front passenger seat while he sat behind the two women. After a stop at defendant’s apartment in Pulaski, the trio went to a secluded location in Floyd County. Here, custody was transferred from Tucker to his associate, Cox.

Rehak said the Commonwealth called several witnesses from the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, as well as a forensic nurse trained to treat sexual assault victims and collect evidence. Wilhelm was the only victim to seek this specialized medical attention. Stephenson and Wilhelm rightfully feared for their safety.

The jury learned from police in Henry County that the defendant’s friends who assaulted the women are notorious for selling drugs and violent crime. Two different investigators testified to the danger of the gang, adding some of their witnesses in homicide cases have disappeared before court.

One of the two females, Tabatha Stephenson, was suspected of helping Tucker in the abduction of Catlyn Wilhelm. Stephenson was later charged as a co-conspirator and testified last week under a very rare immunity agreement. Stephenson was the Commonwealth’s first trial witness. She testified with obvious reluctance, limited recall and some glaring contradictions as to the specifics of her own abduction. Hence, all charges in which Stephenson was alleged to have been a victim were dismissed mid-trial.

According to Rehak, the sworn account from Catlyn Marea Wilhelm was however entirely a different matter. After testifying at preliminary hearings in Henry County and the City of Radford, Wilhelm tragically died in August of 2022. Wilhelm spoke to the Radford jury from the grave as the Commonwealth played Wilhelm’s audio Radford preliminary hearing testimony as recorded on April 7, 2022. The jury had other supporting exhibits which included official court transcripts of Wilhelm’s Henry County testimony and medical records detailing her account. Wilhelm’s suffering during the frightening ordeal was not only well documented, but ultimately deemed very credible.

Tucker did not testify in his defense but provided a recorded statement at the Henry County Sheriff’s Office when he responded to pick up Stephenson and Wilhelm the night they were rescued. Tucker denied any nefarious complicity and even claimed to not know who he met in Floyd to transfer the two women.

Rehak reported the convictions carry possible sentences as follows: abduction with intent to defile 20 years to life, conspiracy to abduct 1-10 years and sex trafficking 2-10 years. After a pre-sentence investigation report is complete, Tucker will be sentenced by the judge later this summer on a date yet to be determined.

“This case required a tremendous amount of work and would have been difficult if Catlyn Wilhelm testified in-person, and her absence presented a unique and unprecedented additional challenge. I decided to prosecute nonetheless and seek justice for Catlyn. Radford Police and Henry County law enforcement did a magnificent job. It is an understatement to say the quest for Tucker’s accountability took on special significance after Catlyn’s untimely death,” Rehak stated.