A man from Arkansas, accused of raping a woman at a hotel in Branson on Halloween, has been arrested and charged.
Toby Norwood, 41, of Bentonville, AR was arrested on Sunday, Nov. 1, and has been charged with 1st Degree Felony Rape, according to online court documents.
According to a probable cause statement filed by the Branson Police Department, the victim was walking near the Branson Landing on Saturday, Oct. 31, when Norwood pulled up next to her in a black car and inquired what she was doing. The victim, who had been recently expelled from a sober living facility, informed Norwood she was looking to obtain controlled substances. Norwood, who identified himself as “Jason” to the victim, shared he had controlled substances at this hotel and invited her to get into his vehicle. She entered his vehicle and Norwood drove them to the Walnut Lane Motel in Branson, where he rented a room, using a California I.D. card, while she waited in the car.
After entering the hotel room, the victim said she asked where the controlled substances were and Norwood began to “flirt” with her as he appeared to be looking around the room for drugs. When the victim informed Norwood that she was only interested in drugs, he grabbed her by the back of the head, forcibly bent her face-first over the bed, pulled her pants down and began raping her, according to the probable cause statement.
The victim said she was able to lift her leg up onto the bed and retrieve a knife she kept in her boot. She then pointed the knife at Norwood; giving her the ability to pull her pants up and escape from the room. The victim stated Norwood followed her briefly and yelled at her as she left on foot still holding onto the knife, according to the statement.
The victim was able to provide various emergency personal with a description of events multiple times, including a detailed physical and clothing description of Norwood and a description of the hotel and room location. She submitted to a sexual assault exam at Cox Medical Center Branson, according to the statement.
The hotel manager told law enforcement Norwood had left shortly after the incident; but did return briefly to turn in the room key. In video footage obtained by authorities, the victim can be seen leaving with what appeared to be a knife in hand and Norwood following her with his pants undone before returning to the hotel room. The footage also showed Norwood leaving the scene in a black Mercedes with Arkansas tags, according to the statement.
Norwood was arrested during a traffic stop performed on the Mercedes on Sunday, Nov. 1, and submitted to a recorded interview on Monday, Nov. 2, at the Taney County Jail. Norwood admitted to meeting the victim, transporting her to the hotel and renting the room. However, he stated the victim had agreed to trade him sex for drugs, but since he didn’t have any drugs, he offered her between $80 to $100 in cash. Norwood stated they then had consensual sexual intercourse on the bed, first with a condom, which he later flushed down the toilet, and then without one. He stated the removal of the condom was inadvertent but continued to have sex with her even after he noticed its removal. Norwood stated he believed the condom’s removal had upset the victim, and she was able to get away from him before pulling out the knife. He said the victim grabbed cash sitting on the table and left the room, according to the statement.
Norwood said he didn’t think her intent was robbery but believed she pulled out the knife because she was upset about the condom; as well as being “scared” of what he might do, because he is a large individual, and because she had “cheated” him by stopping sex before he finished. Norwood said he only followed the victim outside to offer her a ride, but she walked off swearing and holding the knife. He said he didn’t call police after being threatened by the knife because he wanted to handle things “like an adult,” according to the statement.
The results of the exam performed on the victim at Cox Branson were still awaiting lab testing as of the filing of the statement. Norwood was booked into the Taney County Jail, and his initial court appearance had not yet been scheduled as of press time.
