KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A Coldwater man previously convicted and sentenced for sexual assault in Kalamazoo and Jackson counties was sentenced for a third conviction in Calhoun County.
The Michigan Department of Attorney General says 31-year-old Brad Risner was sentenced Friday to 15.5–30 years in prison for raping a 15-year-old girl repeatedly in 2007.
The survivor appeared in court Friday to read aloud a victim impact statement. She told Risner the following:
"I wore shame and scars. I felt broken and used. But now, I am finally telling my truth because of all the pain I wear like a battle wound. I was filled with such doubt, guilt, insecurities and anxiety. I lost myself. But now, because of you, I grew thick skin and I am stronger than I've ever been. I was broken and bruised then I made my armor out of steel and you can never hurt me.
"Over half my life has been affected by your lack of human decency. You are egocentric and parasitic to so many women you preyed upon."
Risner pleaded no contest to the charge, which means he does not admit to the crime but does accept punishment.
That sentence will be served concurrently with his previous sentences, according to the state. The longest of those sentences spans 34–70 years.
Risner was previously convicted for a 2013 third-degree assault case in Kalamazoo County and a 2010 first-degree assault case in Jackson County.
We’re told all convictions were reached as a result of the state’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI).
"The work of our state's SAKI units is gravely important and the results reflect that," Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said. "Through investigating cold case sexual assaults and testing untested assault kits, the SAKI team was able to identify a serial rapist who had walked free for years, creating more victims in his wake. The SAKI program proves time and again that bringing these dangerous criminals to justice only requires that we insist the work be done and that talented investigators and prosecutors set out to do it. It is our hope that this conviction may provide hope to others that justice can be found in cold cases and that there is a victim-centered and trauma-informed pathway available to them if they choose to seek it."
"These convictions serve as a reminder to rapists and molesters that the passage of time does not protect them from justice," Calhoun County Prosecutor David Gilbert added. "His conduct over the years reflects a serial rapist who has preyed on and injured numerous people and their families. The sentences he has received not only serve as punishment for what he has done, but also protects likely victims in the future."
The state's SAKI program, which was established in 2016, helps investigate and prosecute sexual assaults related to previously untested sexual assault evidence kits. It aims to provide victims with the opportunity to have their case re-investigated in a comprehensive, trauma-informed manner.
READ MORE: New approach to sex assault investigations is getting results, changing lives of survivors
