Today, a judge sentenced Robert Williams to life in prison for the brutal rape and torture of a Columbia graduate student. Williams was convicted last month, with a jury finding him guilty of 44 counts, including attempted murder, kidnapping, arson, burglary, robbery, assault, rape and sodomy. The attack occurred in April 2007, after Williams had gained access to the victim's Hamilton Heights apartment building, followed her to her floor and forced his way into her......

Yesterday, a jury of eight men and four women found Robert Williams guilty of 44 counts, including, per the Post, "attempted murder, kidnapping, arson, burglary, robbery, 10 assault charges, five separate rapes and 11 incidents of sodomy," related to his 19-hour rape and torture of a Columbia University graduate student in her Hamilton Heights apartment a year ago. According to his lawyer, Williams, who has rarely been in court during the trial, responded to the......

Robert Williams, accused of raping and torturing a Columbia University graduate student, was found guilty on 44 of 46 counts, including attempted murder, arson, torture and assault. Williams had tried to blind his victim, forced her to overdose on aspirin, and later set fire to the futon he tied her to. He could face up to life in prison.......

A 24-year-old woman took the stand and began to relive a terrifying ordeal as she described how she was raped, tortured, and held captive in her own Hamilton Heights apartment in April 2007. The victim, now 24, was a month away from graduating from Columbia Journalism School and had stayed late at campus to work on her resume (a job fair was the next day). At 9:30 p.m. on April 13, a Friday, she took......

In April 2007, a Columbia graduate student was raped and tortured for 19 hours in her Hamilton Terrace apartment. More than a year later, her suspected rapist is now in court, facing 71 criminal charges including attempted murder, arson, rape and sodomy. Assistant District Attorney Ann Prunty describe the harrowing ordeal in her opening statement. From the NY Times:Over many torturous hours, [the victim] had been repeatedly raped, sodomized and forced to perform oral sex,......

The defense lawyer for Robert Williams used a sartorial defense in court yesterday. Williams, accused of raping and torturing a Columbia graduate student last April, appeared wearing his "jeans and polo shirt inside out," prompting his lawyer to say, "This is symptomatic of mental illness...The best I can do right now, given my relationship with my client, is that I’d like the court to observe my client’s shirt and jeans are both inside out." However,......

NYC & Co better update their marketing materials, because New York City has a new name...The Big Onion. At least that's what Stephon Marbury is calling New York these days. While professing his love of yesterday's NY Post cover (we can't argue with him), Marbury e-mailed The Post, "I must say the front page of The Post has to be the funniest thing I have ever seen in a long time. I'm sitting on......

Yesterday, the man suspected of raping and torturing a 23-year-old woman in her apartment pleaded not guilty to the attack. However, police say that they have DNA evidence linking ex-con Robert Williams to the scene. The victim, a graduate student at Columbia's Journalism School, remembered that the attacker wore one of her T-shirts, which was thrown into a wastebasket, and the police have DNA from Williams' spit (he spat into a station house wastebasket). Williams......

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: brush fires in Jamaica caused delays and suspensions on the LIRR west of Jamaica Station (it's okay, just booze up) - there may still be some delays; a water main break on 3rd Ave at 86th Street; and found DOA on the Belt Parkway. Being the head of a crime family isn't easy these days. Danny "The Lion" Leo, the reputed head of the Genovese crime family was arrested......

The man suspected of raping a 23-year-old woman last weekend was aware people were looking for him. Robert Williams, who was arrested after trying to rob a Queens apartment, was charged with rape, attempted murder, kidnapping and more in connection to the violent 19-hour rape and torture of Columbia graduate student in her Hamilton Heights apartment at West 141st and Hamilton Terrace (building pictured). Today, the Daily News reports that Williams tore down wanted posters......

While boldly trying to rob an apartment in Hollis, Queens on Thursday, Robert Williams was arrested after a scuffle with residents. And when police brought him to the station, a sergeant realized he was the prime suspect in the Hamilton Heights rape case, where a 23-year-old Columbia graduate student was raped and tortured for 19 hours last weekend. Williams was charged with kidnapping, arson, attempted murder, rape, robbery and sex abuse. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly......

The man police believe raped and tortured a Columbia graduate student last week for 19 hours was arrested last night. Police officers saw Robert Williams trying to break into a building in Hollis, Queens and was taken to the 103rd Precinct, where he was recognized from a police sketch released earlier this week. So far, Williams has only been charged with burglary but remains in custody as the Queens police sent him to Manhattan for......