A Florida man who is standing trial for allegedly kidnapping, sexually assaulting, and trying to kill his ex-wife in 2017 reportedly dropped his legal team so he had the opportunity to cross-examine his victim on Wednesday.
Defendant Trevor Summers, 45, who is representing himself, questioned Alisa Mathewson about details surrounding the reported rape.
Shortly after Mathewson asked for a divorce, prosecutors said Summers convinced their 14-year-old daughter to leave a window open at Mathewson’s Hillsborough County home so he could break in, hold her captive for two days, and tie her to a bed with Christmas lights, according to the Daily Beast.
“So you’re calling it rape,” Summers asked Mathewson during cross-examination.
“It is,” Mathewson snapped back. “That is the definition of rape to come into someone’s home and attack them and tie them up and then have sex with them! That is the definition of rape!”
Defendant: "So you're calling it rape?"
Alisa screams: "IT IS. That is the definition of rape to come into someone's home and attack them and tie them up and then have sex with them! THAT IS THE DEFINITION OF RAPE!"#TrevorSummers pic.twitter.com/lzS6Pk82Ru
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) August 24, 2022
Summers also asked his ex-wife what window he used to break in, but she said she did not know because she was sleeping at the time.
During the alleged abduction, Summers reportedly also held a pillow over Mathewson’s face until she lost consciousness. At some point, Summers forced his ex-wife into an SUV and drove around in hopes of finding a marina where he could charter a boat and go out to sea, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
However, Summers’ plan reportedly fell apart when Mathewson tried to flee while they stopped at a Walgreens in Hillsborough County. A witness saw Summers place his wife — whose hands were bound — back into the SUV. Two days later, police discovered the same vehicle at a waterfront resort in Ruskin, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
It was at the waterfront resort where Summers allegedly penned a confession letter to his children and tried to strangle his ex-wife. However, authorities said he noticed police closing in as he placed the rope around her neck.
Police were following Summers’ SUV to a home two miles away when Mathewson jumped out. Summers allegedly tried to slit his own throat before he was placed under arrest.
Summers initially expressed interest in dismissing his legal team on Monday, but he changed his mind before opening statements. However, on Wednesday, he reintroduced the issue as he wanted to cross-examine his ex-wife — who prosecutors said was sexually assaulted multiple times during the 2017 ordeal.
According to the Daily Beast, Summers questioned his ex-wife about their sex life and the scarves he used to tie her up during the abduction.
“I know that they are those colors because you used them to tie me up after the struggle,” Mathewson said while on the stand.
In addition to this case, Summers is awaiting sentencing for his involvement in a federal investment fraud scheme in Pennsylvania. The current trial is expected to continue through this week.
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[Featured image: Alisa Mathewson/Twitter Video Screengrab]
