A Houston rapper, identified as Lee Carter, has been accused of kidnapping a homeless woman and holding her captive in his garage for an extended period, reportedly spanning at least four years. The woman managed to gain access to the suspect’s computer, allowing her to contact authorities for rescue.
The arrest on a charge of felony aggravated kidnapping took place on Thursday, according to court records and Carter’s attorney, despite the woman being discovered in April. Records do not provide clear reasons for the nearly nine-month delay in the suspect’s arrest. Carter, 52, posted a $100,000 bond on Sunday, securing his release from the Harris County Jail by Monday.
An affidavit from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office revealed that the woman, reportedly 70 pounds and pregnant when located, used Carter’s laptop to communicate with 911 dispatch, indicating that she was being held against her will.
Authorities, responding to her distress call on April 7, found the woman locked inside the garage at Carter’s Perry Street home, living in deplorable conditions. The garage lacked a functional toilet, had a mattress covered in vomit, and limited food supplies, including chips and Twinkies. The space had been altered, with boarded-up windows and no garage door for vehicle entry.
The malnourished woman, standing at 5-foot-2, with a pungent odor and unkempt appearance, was discovered in distressing conditions, according to court documents. She claimed that around four or five years ago, Carter picked her up while she was panhandling in Houston, offering assistance. The woman stated she was pregnant at the time of her abduction. Officials did not say if a child was found in the home.
Defense attorney George Powell countered the allegations, asserting that the woman is, in fact, Carter’s domestic partner, emphasizing a romantic relationship and the existence of a child together. Powell, unaware of his client’s stage name or music career details, explained that he had recently been assigned to the case and had not yet assessed the conditions in the garage where the woman was purportedly held against her will.
Prosecutors had initially requested a $500,000 bond, but a magistrate set it at $100,000. Carter, known as the owner of Rhyme Time Records, allegedly based in the same residence where the woman was held, is now awaiting further legal proceedings.
