CANTON, Miss. (WJTV) – Madison and Rankin Counties’ District Attorney Bubba Bramlett announced a man pled guilty to raping a woman at the Canton Manor Developmental Center in Canton.
Antwon Harris, 35, pled guilty to sexual battery and felon in possession of a firearm as a non-violent habitual
offender on Monday, August 15. According to Bramlett, Harris was sentenced by Judge Steve Ratcliff to the maximum for each offense for a total of 40 years to serve without the eligibility for parole.
Harris was arrested earlier this year after investigators said he posed as a new hire for the nursing home on January 13, 2022. After gaining access to the facility, investigators said Harris raped a 29-year-old female resident.
Nursing staff at Canton Manor found a used condom in the victim’s trash can, which alerted them to the sexual assault. Forensic evidence linked Harris’ DNA to the crime scene.
When officers found Harris the following night, they said he had a handgun in the driver’s seat of his car. He had been twice previously convicted of felon in possession of a firearm.
“Antwon Harris deserves every day of the sentence he received. I am appreciative that the staff of Canton Manor Nursing Home and the Canton Police Department were so quick and thorough in their investigations. This allowed the Crime Lab to obtain Harris’s DNA, ensuring a conviction in this case. Harris had been convicted of at least three prior felonies out of Texas. This career criminal conned employees of Canton Manor Nursing Home to sexually abuse a vulnerable adult,” said Bramlett.