GREENSBURG, Pa. -- A Hempfield man who had been accused of brutally beating and trying to kill an ex-girlfriend is free, following his alleged victim's refusal to testify against him, WTAE's Marcie Cipriani reported Friday.
Police said Sean Earl Ray, 34, dragged the 34-year-old woman into his third-story home in the Hempfield Heights Apartments on Oct. 3. According to a police affidavit, Ray punched the woman in the face, struck her in the back and legs and said she would experience "a slow and painful death."
The woman escaped by jumping from Ray's balcony, police said. She was found on the ground with her clothes torn, suffering from multiple fractures and contusions, police said.
The woman showed up at a preliminary hearing Friday, but took the stand only to say she did not want to testify. She did not explain the reason for her decision.
Prosecutors attempted to continue, but eventually decided there was not enough evidence. All charges against Ray were then dropped.
Neither Ray nor the woman would comment after the hearing.
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