BLOOMINGTON, Ind. —The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man on multiple felony charges following emergency calls on the county’s east side.
Deputies responded just before 12:30 a.m. Thursday, to a 911 call near North Russell Road on the east side of Monroe County During the call, a woman could be heard yelling, “Get off of me.” At first, deputies could not get a specific address or person’s name. At 2:25 a.m., Monroe County Central Emergency Dispatch received another 911 call from the same phone number near East Trail Ridge Road. On this call, a man could be heard yelling and a woman crying in the background.
While working to narrow down the 911 call location, a deputy overheard a man yelling from inside a residence near the 4300 block of East Trail Ridge Road. While walking to the home, the deputy found Russell Morgan, 55, a transient, sitting in a garage. Morgan stated he was “having a conversation” with a female friend.
During the preliminary investigation, deputies spoke with a 34-year-old transient woman who was previously disabled unrelated to this investigation, to the extent of being paralyzed from the chest down and facing other medical complications related to paralysis. She reported being physically assaulted, sexually assaulted, and denied basic human rights such as food and water. She stated that evening and during the eight weeks they had been in Bloomington, she asked for help multiple times, refused to have a sexual relationship, and asked to leave, but Morgan refused or ignored her.
The investigation is still ongoing.
As a result of the investigation, authorities arrested Morgan on preliminary charges including Level 3 felony rape, Level 4 felony promotion of human sexual trafficking, Level 6 felony domestic battery, and Level 6 felony criminal confinement.
