Jury selection, witness testimony begins in child rape case

MURFREESBORO – Jury selection and witness testimony began Tuesday in an alleged child rape case that dates back more than a decade ago.

Angela Elizabeth Montgomery appeared in Judge Royce Taylor's courtroom for jury selection and later listened to graphic accounts of sexual abuse she stands accused of committing.

Montgomery is charged with raping her own two children multiple times when she lived in Rutherford County more than a decade ago.

She is charged with 20 counts of rape of a child, six counts of rape, 12 counts of incest and two counts coercion of a witness, according to court records.

Montgomery was indicted in December 2012 after Murfreesboro Police were contacted about the alleged rapes and assaults.

She was initially charged with two counts of child rape by Murfreesboro Police Detective Wayne Lawson after her two children gave the detective “detailed statements" about rapes and sexual assaults they said they suffered at the hands of their mother when they lived in Murfreesboro more a decade ago.

Montgomery was extradited from Oregon, where she now lives, to Murfreesboro where she later posted a $10,000 bond.

Nine women and five men were selected Tuesday to serve on the jury. After the selection, jurors heard testimony from Montgomery’s biological son.

The son said he was first sexually assaulted around the time he started learning about sex education in school.

"She said I could learn about all of that stuff at home," Montgomery's son said. He does not share his mother’s last name.

The Daily News Journal does not publish the names of alleged victims of sexual assault.

Montgomery's son said Angela Montgomery made him touch her and performed several sexual acts as he was just learning about sex .

He became emotional when he described a time when he said Montgomery tried to have sex with him.

"I thought it was normal," he said. "I thought it was normal until I spoke to other kids."

Testimony continues Wednesday morning in a trial that is expected to conclude by Friday.

Contact Aldo Amato at 615-278-5109 or agamato@dnj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Aldo_Amato.