A man who broke into an apartment near the University of Arizona in 2021 and sexually assaulted a resident was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison.
Buckingham
Stephon Montrel Buckingham, 24, who did not know the victim, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault and was sentenced to serve 14 years in prison by Pima County Superior Court Judge Scott McDonald.
Buckingham also pleaded guilty to one count of burglary in the second degree and was issued a six-year prison sentence. The sentences will run consecutively.
In addition to prison time, Buckingham must register as a sex offender.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Tracy Miller, the prosecutor, called the crime horrifying and asked McDonald to sentence Buckingham to the maximum of 21 years.
Miller read a letter to the court from the victim. The victim called Buckingham a monster and said the attack changed her life in irreversible ways. She said she still has trouble sleeping at night. She asked McDonald to sentence Buckingham to as many years as it takes to have him leave prison as a changed person.
Leo Plowman Jr., Buckingham’s attorney, said 21 years was too much and asked McDonald to show leniency.
When Buckingham addressed the court, he said he wanted to apologize to the victim, saying it hurt him to hear Miller read the letter from her.
The sexual assault occurred Nov. 6, 2021, at an apartment complex in the 900 block of North Euclid Avenue, south of Speedway.
According to an interim complaint filed in the Pima County Justice Court, the victim was sleeping when she was awakened by a man getting on top of her in her bed.
The victim tried to kick him off but he threatened her and went on to sexually assault her, saying something along the lines of “just let me do this, it will be quick,” court records say. He left the apartment after the assault.
The victim told police she was sure the front door was locked before she went to bed, but the rear balcony sliding glass door was unlocked as usual, court records say.
DNA processed by the Tucson Police Department's crime lab identified Buckingham as the suspect and he was arrested. Buckingham had a felony warrant out of Wisconsin at the time of the attack.
Chris Magnus, who was Tucson police chief at the time, tweeted about the crime after the arrest, describing it as a “rare stranger sexual assault.”
“Several days ago a rare stranger sexual assault took place near our campus. Thanks to the skilled teamwork of our detectives, forensic personnel at our Crime Lab, and the amazing keen observational skills of our patrol officers, the suspect is in custody!” said Magnus' tweet.
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