By: Patti Weaver
(Stillwater, Okla.) — A 34-year-old convict, who has been serving multiple prison terms for rape, kidnapping and robbery since he was 18, has asked for a jury trial on a felony charge of repeatedly punching a female Cushing prison counselor in her head while he was being held at the Cimarron Correctional Facility in January.
Willie Lonell Adams, who has been transferred from the Cushing private prison to the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, could receive as much as a life prison term if convicted of aggravated assault and battery on a corrections officer after a former felony conviction.
Adams appeared briefly in court last week before Payne County District Judge Phillip Corley, who told him “It will probably be January before you get to trial.” The judge told Adams that he would be returned to court on Nov. 8 when a trial date would be selected.
Oklahoma Department of Corrections Agent Shane Rhames alleged in an affidavit that at 12:12 p.m. on Jan. 17, the female victim, an employee of Core Civic, which operates the Cimarron Correctional Facility that has a contact with DOC to hold state inmates, “was attempting to conduct a cell search in Unit Bravo North, Cell 152.
“During this event, as depicted by Milestone Security Camera footage, Willie Lonell Adams, an inmate in the custody of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections and under the care and supervision of Core Civic, refused to comply with the verbal orders or directions,” of the female counselor, the affidavit alleged.
As the victim gave Adams verbal directives, Adams refused to comply and attempted to shut the door of cell 152, the affidavit alleged. The victim “prevented the door from closing by grabbing it with her left hand, then placing her foot at the bottom of the door,” the affidavit alleged.
Adams stepped forward toward the victim as she backed from the doorway and struck her in the face with a closed right fist, the affidavit alleged. Due to the assault, she fell backwards to the floor and into a supine position, the affidavit alleged.
After the victim was down, Adams walked towards her, stood over the top of her and delivered six closed fist strikes to her head and face with both of his hands, the affidavit alleged.
Adams removed a towel from his head and then delivered an additional three closed fist strikes to her head and face with his right hand as she attempted to roll over into a prone position, the affidavit alleged.
“Once Adams has completed his delivery of a total of 10 strikes,” to the female victim, he walked back into cell 152 where he locked himself inside, the affidavit alleged.
The victim was transported by ambulance to the Cushing hospital “where she was treated for multiple fractures of her nose, laceration to the bridge of her nose, multiple contusions about her face and head, and observation due to concussion,” according to the affidavit.
Due to the attack, the victim “underwent surgery to repair her injuries on Jan. 31, 2019,” the affidavit said. Due to her injuries, the victim was unable to return to work at the time that the affidavit was filed in May, court records show.
According to DOC and court records, when Adams was 18 in 2003, he was given three 35-year prison terms for three counts of first-degree rape, two 20-year prison terms for two counts of robbery or attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon, two 10-year prison terms for robbery or attempted robbery, four 10-year prison terms for kidnapping, two 10-year prison terms for assault while masked or disguised, one five-year prison term for kidnapping, one 5-year prison term for concealing stolen property, one two-year prison term for possessing cocaine, and one two-year prison term for unauthorized use of a vehicle, all in Oklahoma County in 2002. All of his prison terms were ordered to run concurrently.
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