Twenty-four year old Kevin Paulsen of Seneca didn’t testify and his lawyer didn’t call any witnesses in his defense at a trial that lasted less than a day. A jury convicted Paulsen this morning of sexually assaulting a 72-year old Seneca woman in her home last year.
Prosecutors put on their case yesterday afternoon with testimony from the victim and evidence analysts who matched DNA to Paulsen. There was also a video of Paulsen, in the LaSalle County jail, talking to a visitor about the crime. Right after prosecutors rested this morning, the defense rested too. Jurors deliberated for about an hour-and-a-quarter.
Paulsen will stay in the county jail until Judge H. Chris Ryan sentences him on December 29th. Probation is not an option. Paulsen’s sentence could be up to 30 years in prison of which he must serve 85% before he’s eligible for parole.