Lawyer: No plea offers for man accused of raping, imprisoning woman during crack-fueled attack

David Neal, 39, instructed his attorney, Washtenaw County Assistant Public Defender Stephen Adams, to pursue a plea deal with Washtenaw County prosecutors one week before his scheduled trial date on Sept. 17. In court on Monday, Adams informed Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge Melinda Morris prosecutors have declined to offer any kind of deal.

“The prosecution has informed me there will be no offers in this case,” Adams said.

The incident occurred during the morning of May 17, when the woman met Neal at a home in the 1300 block of Nash Avenue in Ypsilanti Township. She testified in June the two of them bought crack cocaine before returning to the home, where the they allegedly got high together.

Neal is accused of raping the woman at knifepoint, threatening to kill her if she moved, before taping her hands together and choking her. It’s alleged Neal later imprisoned the woman in the trunk of a car, where she escaped by chewing through the duct tape on her hands, according to testimony at the June preliminary exam.

Neal faces two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count each of assault with intent to murder, assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, unlawful imprisonment and interfering with the report of a crime. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.

Prosecutors alleged at a hearing in August that Neal confessed to tying the woman up during a phone call at the Washtenaw County Jail.

After being told there would be no plea offers in the case, Morris scheduled a new trial date. Neal is now scheduled to face trial at 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 13.

Neal is being held in the Washtenaw County Jail without bond. He has one previous conviction for attempted receiving and concealing of a stolen motor vehicle in January, according to state records.