Florida woman escapes storage container she was being held in after brutal assault: sheriff

A Florida man was apprehended in a wooded area in Washington County after a woman he allegedly assaulted and held in a storage container escaped.

David Earl Gipson, 40, has been arrested on charges of sexual battery, aggravated battery and false imprisonment, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

The woman, who was not publicly identified, was severely beaten and needed medical attention when emergency medical services and law enforcement responded to the scene, deputies said.

The sheriff's office said the victim stated Gipson visited her residence, quickly became irate and started attacking her. She also allegedly told deputies that he bound and gagged her while beating her and threatening to kill her. 

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Gibson is also accused of sexually assaulting her and beating her with a handgun and a blunt object, before dragging her out of the house.

He allegedly used her mother-in-law's vehicle to take her to his residence, where he continued to abuse her – later putting her in a container out in the yard, according to WCSO. 

"She was naked. Still handcuffed and duct-taped around her mouth," Sheriff Kevin Crews said of the victim's condition during a news conference. "He put a rope over her neck and tucked her legs up underneath her. If you can picture what a hog tie looks like, that’s what he did to her. She stated she got very hot and thought she was going to suffocate and die."

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Eventually, the woman was able to get her legs loose and kick the plywood that was containing her, freeing herself.

"She got out of the shed and then ran for her life," the sheriff stated. "At one point she told us that once she was away from the house, she used a tree to remove her – she’s handcuffed behind her back – she used a tree to remove the duct tape from around her mouth. At that time, she made her way to the edge of a roadway where a passerby saw her. He stopped, picked her up and immediately called 911."

Another woman, 74-year-old Lettie Cooper Collins, who also happened to be the initial victim’s mother-in-law, was found dead and beaten "to a pulp" in her home, the sheriff said.

The sheriff's office said Gipson has approximately 33 total felony charges dating back to 1999, adding that he has been to prison eight times.

He has been charged with multiple counts of burglary, including armed burglary, as well as arson.

Crew spoke on behalf of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and apologized for the "horrific event [that] has happened to this family." 

He acknowledged many agencies for their support in apprehending Gipson, stating that photos were key, and thanked the community for its support and patience.

The sheriff's office is also seeking murder charges against Gipson for Collins' death.

The investigation remains active.