A Fort Worth man has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for two brutal attacks on women in 2017, including an attack on the Trinity Trails, officials said.
Justin Lacey Ray, 23, was riding a bike naked when he attacked a woman in broad daylight on Trinity Trails. The victim told officers Ray pinned her to the ground, punched and strangled her until she was able to bite him and flee, according to police.
“This was a heinous, completely random attack. Law enforcement and first responders involved in this case all share it was one of the most violent beatings they had ever seen someone survive,” said prosecutor Kevin Boneberg in a written statement.
Ray fled from the scene.
Police said an anonymous tipster identified Ray after seeing a suspect sketch for the September attack. He was found in Georgia in July 2018, where he had been arrested on a theft charge.
Ray confessed to the attack on the jogger at Trinity Trail, and another attack on a woman that took place two weeks before at a Fort Worth dog park, according to the Tarrant County District Attorney's office.
After the Trinity Trails attack, residents in that area told police that they spotted someone matching Ray’s description on multiple occasions and that he was wearing a mask and mutilating animals.
Following his arrest, Ray told police that he was he wanted to kill the victim on the trails.
“It was evident from the sheer brutality and sadistic nature of his actions that he was Ted Bundy in the making,” said prosecutor Paul Nguyen in a written statement.
Ray pleaded guilty to attempted capital murder, aggravated sexual assault and aggravated assault in retaliation for the Trinity Trails attack, in which he was sentenced to 50 years in prison.
Ray also pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated sexual assault for the dog park attacked, and he was sentenced to 20 years in that case – which is the maximum.
Ray will have to register as a sex offender.
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