Bell receives 78-year prison term

By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Judge R. Scott Krichbaum of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court has sentenced a convicted rapist to 78 years in prison.
Michael Bell, 20, of Hudson Avenue, convicted last week of raping three South Side women and attempting to rape a fourth, was given the maximum sentence in a hearing Tuesday.
The judge said that the court needs to punish the offender and protect the public from a man who preyed on defenseless women.
"If I could give him more ... I would do it," he said.
"We're going to stand up to people who do these kinds of things," he said, adding that Bell has shown no remorse and is a repeat offender.
Bell should be condemned to a lifetime of punishment and degradation in a place where others will prey on him, Judge Krichbaum said.
Sought maximum
Dawn Krueger, assistant county prosecutor, asked the court for the maximum prison time on Bell's conviction on three counts of rape, three counts of kidnapping and one count each of aggravated burglary and attempted rape.
She also asked the court to declare Bell a sexual predator, which the judge agreed to.
"If I looked up sexual predator in the dictionary, this guy's picture would be there," Krichbaum said after publicly reviewing the trial testimony of the four victims.
The evidence shows Bell is "overwhelmingly guilty," the judge said, referring to DNA testing and the testimony of the victims.
If Bell is ever released from prison, he will have to report his whereabouts to the local sheriff where he lives every 90 days for the rest of his life or face going back into prison.
Bell was given credit for the 391 days he's been in jail since his arrest. Judge Krichbaum said the law requires that the defendant be given that credit on his sentence.
His defense attorney, Robert Rohrbaugh, said he didn't know if Bell planned to appeal his case. Bell made no statements during the sentencing and stood stoically, showing no emotion, during the proceedings.
What he did
Bell was convicted of attacking, restraining and raping three women on Sept. 15, Oct. 7 and Oct. 22, 2005, and of breaking into a house and attempting to rape a fourth woman on Oct. 23, 2005.
The fourth victim was able to fight him off and provided the break in the case that led to Bell's apprehension, Judge Krichbaum said.
The victims ranged in age from 18 to 35. All of the crimes occurred in Bell's neighborhood, authorities said.
gwin@vindy.com