Marvin Lee Gray Jr. charged with murder, rape of 27-year-old woman

A Wichita man jailed in connection with the killing of a 27-year-old mother has been criminally charged with her murder and rape.

Marvin Lee Gray Jr. told a Sedgwick County District Court judge Tuesday that he didn’t understand charges of first-degree murder, rape and aggravated criminal sodomy of Ciera Ray against him nor a charge of aggravated burglary of her home.

Ray, 27, was found dead inside a house at 23rd and Green on June 25 by her boyfriend as he was returning from an out-of-town business trip, Wichita police have said. Ray’s 3-year-old daughter was inside with her mother’s body and had been alone for several hours when the boyfriend arrived, police have said.

Gray, a 26-year-old restaurant employee, was identified as a suspect through the course of the investigation and jailed July 2. Police have described him as an acquaintance of Ray’s but have offered no specifics about their relationship.

Authorities also have said nothing about how Ray died, except that she suffered multiple injuries.

Court documents accuse Gray of entering Ray’s home on North Green on June 25 “with the intent to commit a sexually motivated crime.” He has not yet had an opportunity to enter a plea on the charges.

At Gray’s first appearance Tuesday afternoon, District Judge Joe Kisner referred to the criminal charging document, which lists Gray’s four felony counts, and asked him: “Are there specific parts of it you don’t understand? Questions that I can answer with regard to this?”

“I’m reading the charges but I’m not understanding. … I don’t know,” Gray replied.

“I don’t understand this at all.”

Gray, whose image was broadcast into the courtroom via a closed-circuit television link from the jail, crossed his forearms across his chest and rested on a podium as the judge read from the document.

At the end, Kisner set Gray’s bond at $500,000 and ordered him to return to court July 21 for his next hearing.

He also approved Gray’s request for a court-appointed attorney.

At the close of Tuesday’s proceeding, Gray asked how much prison time he’s facing if convicted.

“Oh, it’s pretty significant,” Kisner said: Up to life in prison for a murder conviction and up to 653 months for rape, plus additional time for the sodomy and burglary counts.

His prior criminal history – including 2010 convictions for aggravated battery and criminal damage to property in what originally was charged as a rape case – will also play a role in what sentence is imposed, the judge said.

“It all depends upon what you’re ultimately found guilty of, OK?” Kisner told Gray.

“If you’re found guilty of anything.”

This story was originally published July 7, 2015 at 4:50 PM with the headline "Marvin Lee Gray Jr. charged with murder, rape of 27-year-old woman."