Man Kidnapped, Raped, Attempted to Kill Woman in Orange County

A 55-year-old man kidnapped, raped and attempted to murder a 22-year-old woman in Orange County.

An Orange County jury found Bruce Whitehead guilty of sexual battery with a deadly weapon, attempted first-degree murder with a deadly weapon, kidnapping with intent to cause harm/terror with a weapon, robbery with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after kidnapping, assaulting, stabbing and attempting to kill a woman in Orange County in 2022.

On December 10, 2022, Whitehead approached the 22-year-old victim, who initially voluntarily got into his car. At one point, Whitehead stopped the vehicle at a shopping center and forced the victim out of the car and into the back seat at knifepoint. He ordered her to lie down and covered her with a jacket. Whitehead drove the victim to a wooded area where he physically and sexually beat her, causing serious injuries.

Whitehead's knife malfunctioned in an attempt to stab the victim in the chest. The victim grabbed Whitehead's arm in an attempt to stop the attack. She began kicking him in the face and chest. The victim took advantage of this opportunity to escape and ran out of the woods, toward the streetlights and the sound of cars. She rang the doorbell and eventually found someone to call 911 for her.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office investigated the Orlando case. Witnesses identified the vehicle driven by Whitehead and recounted his confession about the incident. Cell phone GPS data, surveillance video and photographs confirmed the victim's route. Five days later, officers located and arrested Whitehead. He was found walking on a highway. Fourteen months after his arrest, Whitehead attempted to hire a fellow inmate at the Orange County Jail to help convince the victim not to press charges.

During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence of Whitehead's violent criminal history. The state argued that in 1986, Whitehead was accused of raping and attempting to murder another unrelated woman in Jacksonville. The victim in this case testified, providing facts similar to those in the current case.

This is one of the first trials where a counselor from the Victim Service Center of Central Florida was present to provide assistance before and after the victim's traumatic testimony. This was due in part to a pilot program launched by prosecutor Andrew Bain to make mental health services more accessible to victims going through the criminal justice system.

After a seven-day trial, the jury found Whitehead guilty on all six counts. The sentencing date is scheduled for July 2. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 50 years for Count 1 and could be sentenced to life in prison as a repeat offender released from prison.