'Not guilty' verdict in excrement assault trial

Cheri Monson Cheri Monson Photo: KOMO NEWS Photo: KOMO NEWS Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close 'Not guilty' verdict in excrement assault trial 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Warning: Story contains graphic content that some readers may find objectionable.

A bizarre drama that began last summer with a bucket of human excrement thrown at a local woman has ended with a "not guilty" verdict in the trial of the man accused of throwing it.

The verdict has left the woman, Cheri Monson, in shock and in tears - and in utter disbelief over the jury's decision.

The incident took place last August when Monson was walking up the stairwell to her apartment at a South Seattle public housing complex near Beacon Hill.

That's when 70-year-old Ronald V. Ellis, who lived in a neighboring unit, came out and tossed a bucketful of human feces, urine and vomit on Monson, police wrote in their report.

The attack left fecal matter on her back and vomit in her hair, and responding officers wrote in their report that the stench was so bad it was difficult to interview the victim.

"It was awful. It was disgusting," said Monson. "I could barely get up the stairs."

Today she is still as upset as she was last summer.

"The smell was so ungodly, I threw up from the smell," she told KOMO News in an exclusive interview. "It's been stressful - very stressful."

Ellis was charged with assault and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

When the jury in the trial came back on Thursday with a "not guilty" verdict, Monson was incredulous.

"I could not believe it. I just could not believe it," she says. "I want to know why. I want to know why."

But jurors don't have to explain their reasoning. As a result, no one except the jurors may ever know why Ellis was found not guilty.

Monson says she can't understand how the physical evidence wasn't enough in court. She says police showed graphic photos of what she looked like after the alleged attack.

"If you saw the pictures, you would be ... " she says, trailing off. "It was awful. It was awful. And I cried. I didn't think I was going to but I did."

Monson can only hope she can put this all behind her.

Ellis has now moved away from the apartment complex where the attack took place. KOMO News tried to reach his public defender, but were unable to track her down.

Monson is now looking at a civil suit and hoping to find an attorney to take on her case.

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