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Police: Accused Rapist Stalked Victims

Variety Of Spying Devices Found Inside Robert Burdick's Home, Officials Say

POSTED: 3:47 pm CDT May 5, 2008
UPDATED: 5:53 pm CDT May 5, 2008

More details are being released about a man accused of raping more than a dozen women, many of whom lived in the upscale Forest Hills section of Nashville.

Video: Police: 'Wooded Rapist' Stalked Victims

Police said that Robert Burdick apparently stalked his victims and used their wooded yards to provide cover.

Burdick is accused of 11 rapes in the Forest Hills area alone, often forcing open doors or windows, police said.

Authorities believe Burdick used an assortment of items to spy on his victims before he attacked.

When police arrested him last week, they found five guns, ammo, scopes, a lock-pick set, flashlights and five different pairs of binoculars, including a pair of binoculars with night vision.

"It is shocking, but it's also very commonplace that you see rapists stalk their victims before they rape them," said rape and sexual abuse expert Kathy Walsh.

Walsh has been working with rape victims for 20 years.

"The rapist will identify someone. They'll follow them to see where they live. They'll stake out the house. They'll check out what's the entry into the house," said Walsh.

According to court documents, the "Wooded Rapist," "made statements to the victims that indicated he had been watching the victims or their residences."

When the "Wooded Rapist" got in the house, he wore gloves and would bind the victim with plastic ties and place duct tape over her eyes.

"Rape is really about power and control over a victim," said Walsh.

Police also found a variety of ski masks and face coverings at Burdick's house, as well as adult videos, cameras, duct tape and devices to stop dogs from barking.

It is still unclear exactly how the "Wooded Rapist" selected his individual victims.

One victim told Channel 4 on Monday that her house would not be easy to watch. She always wondered if he followed her from somewhere.

Court documents said that in 2005 that one would-be victim gave a description of the "Wooded Rapist" to a sketch artist. However, that sketch was never publicly released.


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