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February 12, 2012

Case against Robert J. McCann begins Tuesday in Franklin Co.

DENISE A. RAYMO Press-Republican The Press Republican Sun Feb 12, 2012, 02:28 AM EST

MALONE — Jury selection begins Tuesday in the trial of Robert J. McCann, a mixed-martial-arts athlete accused of raping, kidnapping and trying to kill his ex-girlfriend.

He was indicted by a Franklin County grand jury in November 2010 on 11 counts, including two counts of attempted murder, three counts of first-degree rape and one count each of kidnapping, first-degree criminal use of a firearm, first-degree assault, first-degree attempted assault, first-degree stalking and aggravated contempt for allegedly ignoring a stay-away order of protection.

McCann, 28, of Brushton, was arrested Oct. 8, 2010, after a two-day manhunt. He was found hiding in a crawl space at a home near the St. Regis Mohawk Indian Reservation.

He reportedly lured his former girlfriend to a secluded site in Westville on Oct. 5 by telling her he wanted to say good-bye but instead pulled a gun and demanded she tell him about other men she was dating.

When the woman became hysterical at seeing the weapon and tried to get away, he allegedly grabbed her by the wrist, reached his arm around until her neck was in the crook of his elbow then alternately applied and released pressure to her throat until she nearly passed out.

MASSIVE MANHUNT

McCann reportedly released her from his grip then allegedly forced her into his vehicle, took her to his apartment in Brushton and then on to Plattsburgh, where he allegedly kept her overnight.

He reportedly brought the woman back to Westville on Oct. 6 and dropped her off at her vehicle where it had been left the day before.

She immediately called police, and McCann became the subject of a massive manhunt that ended near Akwesasne.

Rape charges were added after his initial arrest when the woman recounted alleged previous encounters with McCann.

In a statement to investigators, McCann said he had used steroids as part of his mixed-martial-arts regimen to give him a competitive edge.

But the drugs made him "snap" and "get angry at little things that people who are not using steroids would not get mad about."

McCann's arrest for attempted murder occurred while he was serving probation for a 2007 attempted burglary. Among the conditions of his probation was to remain arrest free, so the new charges meant he had violated those terms.

For that, he was sentenced on Jan. 24, 2011, to four years in state prison and three years of probation.

McCann is serving the time at Washington Correctional Facility in Comstock, with a parole hearing set for September 2013.

Email Denise A. Raymo at: draymo@pressrepublican.com