Jury Finds Shabazz Guilty Of Rape, Kidnapping; Sentenced To 23 Years

After deliberating Tuesday, questions from the jury kept them from returning a verdict until Wedensday. The defendant, Shazjuan Shabazz, was found guilty of kidnapping a woman and raping her. He was acquitted on two other charges.  The victim was not in court today because her mother said she couldn’t take another day of it.

It took jurors nearly an hour and a half to deliver a verdict, which made the victim’s mother very happy.  “This gentleman lives less than 2 miles from our house and it was going to be very stressful if he had gotten out.“

But Shabazz’s wife says, “it’s not fair for me or my children.  And I have to spend the next 22 years without my husband or their father, I think, is totally unfair.“

The jury returned verdicts on the following charges: Criminal sexual conduct: guilty;  Kidnap: guilty;  Armed robbery: not guilty;  Possession of a weapon: not guilty

Shabazz was sentenced to 23 years for criminal sexual conduct and 23 years for kidnapping. The sentences will run concurrent and Shabazz must serve 85 percent of it.