GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The jury tasked with determining if Quinn James is guilty of raping then 15-year-old Mujey Dumbuya heard more than an hour of unnerving testimony Wednesday from her boyfriend.
Daquarius Bibbs said he held Mujey’s hand as James, now 43, repeatedly raped the crying girl. Bibbs testified under immunity about how he and James would make arrangements to have sex with the girl behind her back.
Bibbs said he lived with James in 2017. The locations of the alleged sexual assaults included a restaurant parking lot, a playground and a relative’s home, according to Bibbs.
Bibbs said he was afraid to do anything at first because he was afraid of James, but Bibbs later called 911 to report the crimes after James kicked him out of his house.
The 18-year-old’s testimony was punctuated by his repeated recounting of how Mujey wept and asked to have her hand held as James sexually assaulted her.
That testimony was followed by a police interview and recorded jail phone calls where James repeatedly admitted he had sex with Mujey, claiming he thought she was 18 or 19. James also implied without proof that she may have been a prostitute.
James’ confession in phone calls from the Kent County Jail to his hysterical mother. In the recordings, James says his life is over and he thought about killing himself.
He also admitted to sex while talking to Kalamazoo investigators who were looking into the death of Mujey. She disappeared on her way to school four days before her body was found in a wooded area of Kalamazoo on Jan. 28.
James is also charged with the Mujey’s murder, but this jury does not know that. James will be tried separately for the killing, which happened after Mujey agreed to testify against her alleged rapist.
After calling four witnesses Wednesday morning, Kent County Assistant Prosecutor Kevin Bramble wrapped up his case just before noon.
Defense attorney Jonathan Schildgen declined to call additional witnesses. James said he will not take the stand in his own defense.
Closing arguments from both sides are now underway, and the case could be in the hands of the jury before the end of the day.