Rector Gets 78 Months for Brutal Assault & Dog Killing

ST. LOUIS – Leslie Rector, 30, of Franklin County, Missouri, will spend the next six-and-a-half years in federal prison after a violent rampage that left his girlfriend severely injured and his own dog dead. U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel handed down the 78-month sentence Thursday, following Rector’s guilty plea in April to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The brutal incident unfolded on April 16, 2024. According to court documents, Rector, while intoxicated, launched a vicious assault on his girlfriend. The extent of her injuries wasn’t detailed in court filings, but police found her the following morning at a gas station with “extensive injuries to her face and head.” But the violence didn’t stop there. Rector then callously shot his dog, ending its life in a horrific act of cruelty.

Rector’s rage continued as he searched for his girlfriend, leading him to assault a neighbor. The Pacific Police Department responded to the initial reports and quickly connected the dots, recognizing the severity of the situation and contacting the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, believing the primary assault took place within their jurisdiction. Deputies arrived at Rector’s home to find a scene of carnage: a blood-splattered van, the lifeless body of the dog, and a cache of four firearms.

The discovery of the firearms sealed Rector’s fate. As a convicted felon, he was already legally prohibited from possessing any weapons. The case highlights the dangerous intersection of domestic violence, substance abuse, and illegal gun ownership. Authorities moved quickly to secure the scene and build a case against Rector, bringing federal charges that carried a significant penalty.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Hoag skillfully prosecuted the case, presenting the evidence gathered by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Pacific Police Department. The collaborative investigation underscores the importance of interagency cooperation in tackling violent crime. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a comprehensive program designed to reduce violent crime and gun violence across the nation.

PSN focuses on fostering trust within communities, supporting violence prevention organizations, strategically prioritizing enforcement, and meticulously measuring results. The Department of Justice launched a strengthened PSN initiative in May 2021, aiming to make neighborhoods safer by addressing the root causes of violence and holding offenders like Leslie Rector accountable for their actions. Rector’s sentence sends a clear message: brutality and illegal gun possession will not be tolerated.

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