Marvin Gifford Jr:Former victim of accused killer speaks out

McPherson, Kansas

June 5, 2008

McPherson, Kansas, June 4, 2008 -- Marvin Gifford is facing charges of capital murder and is the suspect in a string of rapes against elderly women in Reno County.

Now, KSN has learned all adds to Gifford's long history of sex crimes against the elderly.

It was a cold December night, in 2005, when a 76-year-woman opened her door just a crack to call her cat and a man wearing a Halloween mask grabbed her.

"Boy, he jumped up and he reached around and he grabbed my ankle and I kicked at him and I called him a couple of names," said the woman who asked not to be identified.

The attacker ran off, but police didn't have much trouble naming Marvin Gifford as the suspect.
Court records show Gifford's behavior escalated from window peeping back in 2000, to exposing himself in 2004, to actually grabbing someone in the 2005 case.

McPherson police Chief Dennis Shaw says there are likely numerous other crimes committed by Gifford but never charged.

"I would say a hundred times we've been out a lot over the years checking on noise complaints that would fit this method of operation in retirement communities," said Shaw.

So when Shaw heard of 85 year old Pearl Arthaud's rape and murder in a Buhler retirement home, he immediately contacted Reno county authorities.

"Once we heard there was an exposure or rape case that involved an elderly person there's just not, you've got to go pretty far down the barrel to get that."

Shaw says his department shared records and assisted Reno County with surveillance on Gifford’s McPherson home.

Gifford had been convicted in the 2005 case, but a pending appeal on his sentence meant he was out on bond when he allegedly murdered Arthaud.

Shaw says they also increased patrols around McPherson retirement communities.
The victim in the 2005 case says she knew Gifford wasn't in jail. "I got creepy every time I came home at night after dark for fear he'd be lurking someplace," she said.

But now, finds some comfort in knowing her attacker is behind bars: “he’s a scum, slime bag."