A Mountain Pine man arrested in 2022 for the repeated rape of a young girl was sentenced Wednesday evening to 11 consecutive life terms plus six years in prison following a three-day jury trial in Garland County Circuit Court.
William Eric Coston, 45, who listed a Bear Ridge Trail address at the time of his arrest on Sept. 27, 2022, was found guilty of 10 counts of rape and one count of introduction of a controlled substance into the body of another person and was sentenced to the maximum of life on each count, and one count of sexually grooming a child and sentenced to the maximum of six years.
The jury deliberated for less than 20 minutes before finding him guilty of all the counts and less than 20 minutes before recommending the sentences in the case, Deputy Prosecutor Brock Price told The Sentinel-Record Wednesday night.
The victim was 9 years old when the rapes were discovered, but "it had been going on since she was 3 or 4" and prosecutors were able to show it was multiple incidents over a period of six years. Coston was originally charged with three counts of rape at the time of his arrest, but the information was amended to 10 counts on Feb. 29 before the trial.
"There were some incidents she was too young to remember," Price said, noting they went with the ones she could recall.
The victim testified at trial along with her trauma therapist who explained post-traumatic stress disorder and how it can affect young victims under these circumstances, Deputy Prosecutor Caitlin Bornhoft said.
There was also other testimony from the clinical supervisor at Cooper-Anthony Mercy Child Advocacy Center and Garland County sheriff's investigators who worked the case, she said.
The rapes were discovered when Coston confided about the ongoing abuse to a family member who called the sheriff's office to report it. Two other witnesses Coston had confessed to, including an "old family friend" and his pastor, testified at trial, but the original family member didn't have to testify, Bornhoft said.
Coston, who had no prior criminal history at all, did not testify at trial, Price said.
There was also evidence presented involving electronic devices and recordings that were made that proved the sexual grooming of a child aspect of the case, basically involving child pornography, Bornhoft said.
Price said the introduction of a controlled substance charge was one "I had never had to deal with before," and involved Coston giving the victim meth and marijuana prior to some of the acts. The law specifies the introduction of the substances into the body of another without their knowledge or prior consent, but due to her age, they were able to show she couldn't have given consent.
Asked if he was happy with the verdict and sentence in the case, Price said, "About as happy as you can be after having to deal with something like this."
Bornhoft said they were very grateful to the jury "who had to listen to all that testimony," which was "really hard on them," noting, "It was a very emotional process for the jury throughout the trial."
Price said one of their main concerns was "making sure he could never do anything like this again to anyone else," but also "to send a message to the rest of the community that if anyone was ever tempted to do anything like this to realize what the consequences are going to be."
According to the affidavit, on Sept. 26, 2022, sheriff's deputies responded to Coston's Bear Ridge Trail residence after the family member had reported Coston had admitted to him about raping a young girl two years earlier.
On Sept. 27, Coston came to the sheriff's office stating he wanted to confess and told Investigator Heidi Bernard, after being read his rights, that he had raped the girl several times.
He was arrested that day and a gag order limiting pretrial publicity in the case was issued on Nov. 14, 2022. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in circuit court on Dec. 7, 2022, and a mental evaluation was ordered on Feb. 22, 2023, at the request of his attorney. Coston was ruled fit to proceed on July 19, 2023, and the case was later set for trial.
Coston's wife, Bernice Destanie Marie Coston, 22, was also arrested on Sept. 27, 2022, on one count of rape, punishable by up to life in prison, involving the same victim. The information was amended on Jan. 9, 2023, to include a second charge of first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor, punishable by up to six years.
Bernice Coston, who has remained in custody on a $750,000 bond since her arrest and who listed no prior criminal history, is set for a disposition hearing in her case on April 15.