Arkansas Walmart Abduction Case Goes to Jury as Rape Trial Unfolds

An Arkansas trial continued Thursday over charges including rape, terroristic threatening, aggravated assault and felony firearm possession against 21-year-old Marco Morales. A 23-year-old woman testified that Morales abducted her from the Bentonville Walmart Supercenter parking lot at gunpoint on Nov. 11 and raped her in the backseat of her car after leading her to a nearby school.

During the testimony, the survivor described spotting a masked man armed with a black pistol as she walked back to her car and getting into the passenger seat after he told her, 'Don’t freak out.' Morales allegedly told her he wanted her to drive him somewhere and that he would give instructions, prompting her to start the car and comply. The encounter moved to Melissa Drive, about a mile from the Walmart, where she said Morales directed her to pull over and continue following his demands. She said Morales repeatedly complimented her appearance while still wearing the mask and holding the gun, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

She testified that near the school, Morales struck her in the head with the gun, leaving her with a cracked skull and a lasting scar and indentation. After they parked, she attempted to escape, but Morales began yelling and chased her, prompting her to run toward some bushes before hearing the cocking of his firearm. The witness said Morales forced her to open the trunk, then move to the back seat, where he ordered her to remove her clothes and bind her eyes with a shirt while he undid his own pants. She described vomiting during the assault and using her shorts to clean him off; an earlier witness later testified that Morales’ DNA was found on her shorts.

Back in the Walmart parking lot, she said Morales grabbed her phone, searched through it, and threw it out the window before threatening that someone would follow her if she reported the crime. She eventually called her boyfriend in a frantic attempt to convey that she had been raped, the witness added. The testimony helped lay out the sequence of events prosecutors say establish Morales’s role in the alleged crimes.

The prosecution and defense rested their cases on Thursday morning, and jurors began deliberations around 11 a.m. Morales did not testify in his own defense, and his attorney did not call any witnesses. Morales faces charges of rape, terroristic threatening, aggravated assault and felony firearm possession, to which he has pleaded not guilty. The case is being heard in Bentonville, and prosecutors said they presented substantial evidence tying Morales to the alleged crime. No immediate verdict was announced as deliberations continued.

The account presented at trial reflects the state’s ongoing concern with violent crimes and the handling of high-risk incidents in public spaces. Authorities have not indicated any new charges beyond those Morales faces, and the court has not set a future date for a verdict in this case. As the trial progresses, observers will be watching for any additional corroboration from witnesses or physical evidence presented by the prosecution, as well as any potential developments in the defense’s strategy. The outcome will be watched closely by residents and policymakers who track how Arkansas handles violent crime cases and ensures victims receive access to due process.