Wife of Serial Rape Suspect Moved Husband's Car from Crime Scene, Police Say

Police Say the husband targeted Chinese immigrants at massage parlors.

ByABC News
November 9, 2012, 3:24 AM

Nov. 9, 2012— -- A prosecutor in the DA's office in Seattle, whose husband has been charged as a serial rapist, removed her husband's car from the scene of his arrest and didn't tell investigators about it for weeks, according to newly released court documents.

Danford Grant, 47, a partner at the Seattle law firm Bailey Grant Onsager, is facing seven felony charges of rape and attempted rape in attacks involving Chinese immigrants at massage parlors. The father of three was arrested Sept. 24, but was released on $1 million bail last week and is on home detection with a monitoring bracelet.

Grant's wife, Jennifer, is in the eye of the storm after court documents released Tuesday reveal behavior that has drawn the attention of authorities and prosecutors.

Police say Jennifer Grant, a supervisor in the criminal division of the Seattle City Attorney's Office, moved her husband's car from the scene of his arrest at the Carnation Massage Clinic and parked it at a random location near her home. Grant didn't tell investigators about the car's location for weeks.

Detectives had served search warrants looking for the car, hoping to find "a folding knife, cell phones and other evidence," according to court documents.

Police also say that Grant used her husband's key card to get into the parking garage of his office shortly after the arrest.

No charges have been filed against Jennifer Grant.

"There could be severe consequences, and as a prosecuting attorney, one could argue that she should have known better," said ABC News legal analyst Dana Cole.

Grant and her husband's attorney declined ABC News' request for an interview. Danford Grant's attorney, Richard Hansen, told a local reporter that Jennifer Grant had parked her husband's car away from the house to avoid the news media and that she wasn't trying to hide the vehicle.

Seattle City's Attorney says Grant "has been reassigned to responsibilities that do not entail courtroom prosecutorial work."

Danford Grant is working on his defense and has pleaded not guilty. Police claim Grant raped the women after using personal information he'd somehow uncovered about their backgrounds and threatened them with it.

Employees of Carnation Massage Clinic say Grant was a repeat customer at the parlor, who had sexually assaulted an employee at knife point 15 days before his arrest, according to ABC News affiliate KOMO.

"These assaults are happening on women that you know may not want to call 911, or feel uncomfortable calling 911," said Carla Iafrate of the Bellevue Police Department.

Grant was arrested on Sept. 26 when employees finally called police after he visited the parlor again.

Grant is also charged with raping a massage therapist at her home on Aug. 19. The victim in that attack told police Grant came to her house to ask for a massage. When she said no, he allegedly forced his way inside, breaking the chain lock inside the door, according to KOMO.