Waynesville Man Faces Rape Charges

Pulaski County prosecutors charged a Waynesville man last week with first-degree rape and first-degree kidnapping. Court documents indicate that deputies from the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office received a report in March about a woman being held against her will at a property on Swindell Drive.

Upon arrival, they found the victim had managed to escape through a window and was taken for medical attention at a nearby hospital, where a forensic examination was conducted.

The victim reported that 38-year-old Mark Kirk had held her captive for four days and subjected her to multiple sexual assaults. She also claimed that when she tried to leave, Kirk punched her in the head and threatened to kill her if she attempted to escape again. The victim eventually contacted authorities when Kirk left the residence, and deputies arrested him when he returned home.

Kirk was charged with first-degree rape, first-degree kidnapping, and second-degree domestic assault and taken to the Pulaski County Jail. His bail was set at $250,000, to be paid in cash. Kirk is scheduled for a preliminary hearing before Judge Colin Long on May 22nd.