Smith

A 26-year-old Prineville man was sentenced to 20 years in prison Monday for stabbing two women in a terrifying attack that also included attempted rape.

Anthony James Smith pleaded no contest to first-degree assault, attempted rape and burglary as part of a negotiated settlement, according to a statement from Crook County District Attorney Wade Whiting. Smith was originally charged with attempted murder, first-degree assault, attempted rape, burglary and kidnapping.

Smith must also register as a sex offender, according to the sentence handed down by Crook County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Ahern.

Smith broke into a Prineville apartment Jan. 29 after a night of partying with friends, according to previous Bulletin accounts. He was accused of attacking two women in the apartment with a knife and tried to rape one of them — the woman who lived there.

Smith was the woman’s neighbor, but they did not know each other.

Smith attacked his neighbor’s friend with a knife, stabbing her in the neck, police said. The wound was so deep the victim told The Bulletin afterward that it damaged her vocal chords. She was able to get outside the home and tried screaming for help, only to realize the damage that had been done to her voice.

However, she was able to call 911 with the help of people nearby.

Back in the home, Smith turned to the other woman, tackling her to the ground in the bedroom and stabbing her in the face and arm, according to Whiting and police reports. According to court records, he then forced her to the ground and began to remove her clothing before forcing her to remove additional clothing.

When police arrived, they found Smith attempting to rape the woman, according to police reports. According to Whiting, the victim had a “significant cut” on the right side of her face and the amount of blood covering the room indicated a large struggle. Whiting said she had hit Smith in the head with an object during the struggle.

With their weapons drawn, Prineville Police officers Jordan Uppendahl and Jerod Caddell and Sgt. Jimmy O’Daniel ordered Smith to show his hands. Smith initially grabbed the woman and rolled onto his side, putting the victim between him and the police, according to Whiting. Eventually Smith complied with the officers’ commands, and as Uppendahl and O’Daniel held him at gunpoint, Caddell took the victim outside for medical treatment.