Rainier School supervisor accused of raping vulnerable patient gets jury's verdict

A former employee at a Buckley facility for adults with developmental disabilities was convicted Thursday for trying to rape one patient and inappropriately touching another.

Jurors found 62-year-old Terry Wayne Shepard guilty of attempted second-degree rape and two counts of indecent liberties.

He's to be sentenced July 27.

Shepard was a supervisor at Rainier School, a live-in facility run by the state Department of Social and Health Services.

He was fired and arrested after another employee reported walking in on him apparently sexually assaulting a non-verbal autistic patient with the mental capacity of an 8-year-old in November 2016.

The family of the patient, 59-year-old Maryann Stallone, sued the state last year, alleging more should have been done to prevent the assault.

After Shepard's arrest, Stallone's roommate, who has cerebral palsy, reported Shepard had previously touched her inappropriately.

Pierce County prosecutors charged Shepard with indecent liberties in connection with that victim, and with second-degree rape in connection with Stallone.

Shepard argued at trial that there wasn't DNA evidence to prove rape, and jurors ultimately convicted him of the lesser crime of attempted rape.

Deputy prosecutor Sven Nelson said Shepard faces at least roughly nine to 12 years in prison. Because of the nature of the conviction, the state's Indeterminate Sentence Review Board will decide when, or if, Shepard is released.

Stallone's sister, Cathy McIvor, said she believes the verdict means relief for their family.

"We're glad it's over," she said.

Both victims still live at Rainier School, but McIvor said the plan is to eventually move Stallone out of state, to be closer to McIvor

Stallone seems excited about that, McIvor said.

They had a meeting about it recently, after which Stallone signed the word "airplane" repeatedly.

Speaking of Rainier School residents, McIvor said: "These people matter."

This story was originally published June 15, 2018 at 4:18 PM with the headline "Rainier School supervisor accused of raping vulnerable patient gets jury's verdict."