Mason Alexander Hall, 19, was arrested on October 18, 2019 and charged with the August 1, 2017 sexual assault of a 19-year-old woman in Norristown, Pennsylvania.
At around 10:30 in the morning, an unknown male kidnapped the woman with a handgun, which he held to her head. He forced her to a secluded pasture in the Norristown Farm Park where he sexually assaulted her. A DNA profile of the suspect was recovered from the crime scene.
The FGG investigation was conducted by Parabon Nanolabs in partnership with the Norristown Police Department, the West Norriton Police, and the Montgomery County Police Department.
Hall pled guilty to the charges, and was sentenced in the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas to 13 to 32 years in prison, followed by three years of post-parole probation. This includes the maximum prison term of 10 to 20 years for the charge of rape.
The victim and her family testified at the sentencing hearing. As Hessler reports, “‘I deserve justice, justice for myself, my family and my community,’ the victim, now 24, testified, adding she has lived a life filled with anxiety and fear since the assault.”
Several forensic psychological experts testified at his sentencing hearing. Hessler reports that, “Dr. Lisa Young, who conducted a court-ordered psychosexual evaluation of Hall, testified he is ‘above average for risk of re-offense,’ has a sense of entitlement and has a sense that rules and law are irrelevant to him. ‘The only explanation for the defendant’s vicious attack on a complete stranger is the need to satisfy his desire for sexual violence and to exercise complete control over a vulnerable member of the public,’ Steele and Ringwood argued in their sentencing memorandum.” He frequently watched pornography related to rapes, including shortly before the assault. A defence expert testified that he meets the criteria for sexual sadism disorder.
Shortly before his arrest for this offence, Hall was arrested on September 23, 2017 in Norristown for possession of a bloody hammer that had been used to damage a vehicle’s headlamps. The DNA profile from the blood was that of Hall, and it matched that found at the sexual assault.
Hall’s family also attended the sentencing hearing to defend his character and argue in favour of a lesser sentence.
Sources:
Hessler, Carl Jr. “West Norriton Man Sent to Prison for Raping Woman in Norristown Farm Park.” The Mercury, March 22, 2022. Accessed April 29, 2023. https://www.pottsmerc.com/2022/03/02/west-norriton-man-sent-to-prison-for-raping-woman-in-norristown-farm-park/.
Perez, Walter. “DNA Helps Authorities Arrest Man for 2017 Rape at Norristown Farm Park.” ABC News 6, October 21, 2019. Accessed 29 April 2023. https://6abc.com/a-sex-assault-suspect-is-now-behind-bars-after-allegedly-attacking-19-year-old-college-student-at-norristown-park-more-than-two-years-ago/5636149/.
Steele, Kevin R., and Edward F. McCann Jr. “Mason Hall, 19, Arrested for 2017 Norristown Farm Park Sexual Assault.” Office of the District Attorney, Montgomery County, October 21, 2019. Accessed April 29, 2023. https://www.montcopa.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4972.