Man Sentenced to 55 Years for Strangling, Beating, and Torturing Girlfriend

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TX -- On Tuesday, May 18, 2021, in the 221st District Court with Judge Lisa Michalk presiding, Luke Vandell Booker pled guilty to one charge of Assault Family Violence Impeding Breath/Blood Circulation Enhanced and one charge of Assault Family Violence Bodily Injury— Enhanced. Booker agreed to the plea to the two felonies in exchange for a sentence of 55 years in prison. Booker is a habitual offender with a penalty range from 25 years to life in prison. Booker entered his plea after a jury was selected and evidence had begun.

On May 8, 2018, Montgomery County Constable Precinct 3 Deputies responded to a 911 call in which a female began whispering 'hurry, hurry, I'm tied up in the bathroom, I'm bleeding,' and then hung up. Upon arrival at the home, deputies knocked on the door with no response for several minutes, until the victim eventually answered the door in a state of panic and fear. Further investigation revealed that Booker, her boyfriend, had tied her up in the home for several hours before she was able to reach 911 for help. The victim stated that Booker had continuously whipped her with USB/iphone charging cords over her entire body, beat her with his fists, sprayed bleach and cologne on the open wounds, and forced her into a cold bath for an extended period of time. Booker then forced the victim to parade in front of a roommate while whipping her. After hours of torture, Booker then bound and gagged her, tied her to a chair in the bathroom, and strangled her into unconsciousness.

At some point after awakening, the victim realized that Booker had left her alone in the bathroom to talk to the roommate in another part of the house. Fearing that Booker would return to kill her, the victim escaped her restraints and made a frenzied call for help, then replaced the restraints to avoid Booker discovering what she had done Once police arrived and began knocking on the front door, Booker escaped out the back door of the home and fled the scene. The victim described her relationship with Booker as one that started as friendship that then turned intimate. Soon thereafter, Booker became psychologically abusive, escalating to physical violence, and controlled her every move. The victim's entire body was severely bruised with clear lash marks that indicated she was whipped from head to toe. The victim was strangled and had deep tissue bruising indicating the severity of the beating. Montgomery County Hospital District emergency personnel transported the victim to a nearby hospital.

Booker was located several weeks later hiding in an attic in Old Town Spring in Harris County and arrested on felony assault charges. A jury was selected in this case on Monday, May 17, 2021, by District Attorney Brett Ligon and Domestic Violence Chief Echo Hutson. The parties began presenting evidence Monday afternoon with law enforcement witnesses presenting the photos of the victim's injuries and physical evidence seized from the bathroom of the home including the bandana used to gag the victim, the cords used to whip the victim, and multiple other restraints and implements of the crime. Early Tuesday morning, prior to resuming testimony in the case, Booker agreed to plead guilty to two felony assault charges, in return for a 55 year sentence in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Prosecutor Echo Hutson: 'The horrific physical injuries that domestic violence victims receive at the hands of those who are supposed to love and protect them can be outweighed by the feelings of betrayal and fear of retaliation. Victims are scared to speak up, to ask for help. When they do ask for help, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office and Montgomery County law enforcement will stand up to stop the violence and protect victims in our community from further abuse at the hands of violent offenders. We are grateful for the strength of our victim in coming forward, and for the heroic work of all the community partners who helped us obtain justice in this case.'

District Attorney Brett Ligon: 'Domestic Violence victims often suffer behind closed doors, afraid to call for help in the fear that no one will believe them These victims deserve the highest level of protection and my office will provide just that. When victims speak_ we listen, and we spare no effort to see that dangerous men like Luke Booker are removed from our community. The sentence obtained in this case reinforces our commitment to seeking justice on behalf of victims and sends a message to abusers that we will not tolerate this type of cruelty in Montgomery County.'