Fugitive rapist sentenced for bad breath in Quincy 16 years after his conviction

Lina Portman2 weeks ago

0 2 minutes read

QUINCY ‒ The sentencing of the so-called “bad breath rapist” scheduled for Thursday afternoon has been postponed until Aug. 6 at the defendant's request, according to the Dedham Superior Court clerk's office.

Nearly 17 years ago, Tuen Kit Lee escaped bail just before the jury began its deliberations. Convicted in absentia of aggravated rape, home invasion and masked theft, he managed to evade justice until May 28, when authorities arrested him in northern California.

At a preliminary hearing in early June, Lee's attorney, Philip Tracy, described his client as depressed and possibly in need of psychiatric care.

In 2007, Lee, a Chinese national, was convicted of raping a waitress in her 20s who worked for him at the Kagasawa Japanese restaurant in Quincy on February 2, 2005.

At trial, prosecutors said Lee broke into the woman's home and forced himself on her at knifepoint. The woman told police that even though the attacker was masked, she could recognize him as her boss by his foul breath. Lee tied the woman to the bed, tying her wrists to the bed posts using plastic ties, according to court documents.

After Lee disappeared, losing $100,000 in bail, the television show “America's Most Wanted” aired an episode about his case, which aired in late 2007, including an interview with Quincy police lead investigator John Menz .

At a pretrial hearing on June 5, Judge Michael Cahillane revoked Lee's bond before setting a date for the sentencing hearing.

“The victim has been waiting for justice for a long time after the verdict,” he said.

After the hearing, Tracy told reporters outside the courthouse that Lee had lived “a quiet, crime-free, incident-free life” since his disappearance.

Opiate epidemic: As fatal overdoses decline statewide, Quincy records deadliest year on record

Freedom of expression cases: Dedham High teacher's free speech trial is over. What happened in the case

“On the other hand, there’s a day where it’s going to have to matter,” Tracy said. “He'll have to take care of it.”

Tracy said that after Lee's first arrest in 2005, a fellow inmate assaulted him, causing “significant” injuries.

“He was terrified then – and he is now – of going to prison,” Tracy said.

When asked about his life on the run, Tracy said he lived with a woman, his “significant other,” in California.

“I think he tried to live quietly, live a good life,” Tracy said.

“It’s a sad case all around,” he said. “For the victim, for him, for the woman he formed a relationship with. We have to deal with this as best we can.”

Peter Blandino covers Quincy for The Patriot Ledger. Contact him at [email protected].

Thank you to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription. Here is our latest offer.

Lina Portman

Related Articles

IMPD seeks help identifying suspect in June shooting

Philadelphia man admits to drug trafficking-related activity in Whitpain

Business 80 traffic cleared after grass fire near Sacramento's Cal Expo

Can you identify the world leader in this viral photo?