ST. LOUIS — A former Lyft driver who rejected a plea deal on a rape case just months ago was sentenced to 13 years in prison Tuesday.
On Monday, Larry Ward, 57, pleaded guilty to the first-degree kidnapping and first-degree rape of a woman who called the rideshare company for a ride home from a bachelorette party at a downtown bar on June 22, 2019.
St. Louis City Circuit Court Judge Scott Millikan sentenced Ward to five years in prison for kidnapping and eight years in prison for the sexual assault.
The sentencing range on the rape charge is five years to life, which is 30 years, and up to 15 years on a kidnapping charge. Millikan did not elaborate on how he arrived at his decision to sentence Ward to 13 years, with one year of credit for time served, although it did mirror the plea Ward rejected in April.
Ward's attorney, Bob Taaffe, told the judge his client decided to enter a blind plea Monday -- which was supposed to be the first day of his trial -- to spare the victim from going through a trial.
Evidence against Ward included a rape kit performed on the victim, data from her cell phone that showed the time and place where Ward picked her up, how long the $9.02 ride lasted and an image of Ward on her receipt.
Millikan paused after the victim gave her impact statement to him, tears welled in his eyes.
“I admire your strength and courage and that is going to get you through from this day forward," Millikan said.
5 On Your Side typically does not identify victims of sexual assault, but Ward's victim, Cristen Giangarra, 33, has spoken publicly about her alleged attack.
She has told 5 On Your Side in previous interviews that what was supposed to be a six-minute ride turned into 51 minutes of terror, which included waking up with Ward smiling and on top of her.
“There is no justice in this case, no amount of tears will give me my life back, but for the next 13 years, the city of St. Louis will be safer,” Giangarra said during Tuesday's hearing.
She told the court she’s been taking anti-seizure medication to prevent panic attacks, and nighttime teeth grinding has worn away the enamel on her teeth.
“I became an expert at pretending to be OK,” she said.
She continued: "What this man took from me is irreplaceable irreparable. He has robbed me of years of my life. He has stolen moments with friends and family. And yet, he has been with me at every celebration, every sorrow, every joy, every tear, every accomplishment. He haunts me. His shadow is the burden I carry every day ... and on parole, I will haunt in the form of a registered list."
She also talked about the trauma of undergoing a medical exam following the rape, saying the only silver lining was learning she was not carrying his child.
Ward said nothing when the judge asked him if he had any remarks to give, and a woman who sat behind him began whaling and walked out of the courtroom after Millikan delivered his sentence.
In April, former St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner’s administration offered Ward a 12-year plea deal. He rejected the offer about two hours before that plea hearing was to begin, opting instead to go to trial.
In a handwritten letter he sent to Millikan on Sept. 20, Ward wrote that he never told his attorney he was going to take the deal.
“We talked about if it come down to, but never did I say, ‘OK, tell the judge we taking the deal,’ no not never,” Ward wrote. “I’m sorry that we couldn’t see eye-to-eye, even when you said I didn’t have to be in court, I was there. I’m sorry if it look like I was being an (expletive).”
In his letter, he told the judge his GPS monitoring conditions prevented him from visiting his mother’s grave, visiting a brother dying of cancer and pinning a military medal on his son’s shirt.
Millikan revoked Ward’s bond in August, and Ward told the judge his incarceration created more stress on his wife and their 14 children – one of whom is 16 years old and still lives with her parents.
Giangarra, who now lives out of state, was prepared to give a victim impact statement and remained in a private room away from the courtroom where Ward was meeting with his attorney during that April hearing.
“This case is a modern urban nightmare,” St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore wrote in a statement. “Our Victim Services Unit has worked closely with the victim to ensure that she received the appropriate legal and psychological support in the aftermath of her trauma.
“I am grateful to our prosecution team, including Jeremy Crowley and Nicholas Fischbach, for pursuing justice for the victim of this violent crime.”
Attorneys for Lyft also attended Tuesday's hearing.
Giangarra is suing Lyft, alleging it cut corners on checking criminal backgrounds, which allowed Ward to work for the company despite warning signs in his criminal history. She also claims the company refused to hire him once before when a previous background check showed his felony history.
Resources for crime victims
If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.
The Crime Victim Center of St. Louis has multiple programs to support victims of crime. Crime Victim Center’s programs range from direct services to crime victims as well as “creating awareness and change within the systems they encounter.”
Life Outside of Violence "helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence."
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has the Neighborhood Healing Network, which serves people who have experienced crime, violence or been the victim of an incident that caused trauma.
Cure Violence is an international organization that is present in a handful of St. Louis neighborhoods. Violence interrupters are trained to de-escalate violent situations within their own communities.