Inset: Winston Eccleston (Haywood County Sheriff”s Office). Background: The area where Eccleston allegedly held a woman captive in North Carolina (Google Maps).
A North Carolina man is behind bars for the rape of a woman he held captive for nearly five months, state law enforcement allege.
Winston Eccleston, 26, stands accused of myriad crimes including forcible rape, kidnapping, and various firearms offenses, court records in Buncombe and Haywood counties show.
Before speaking with law enforcement in late May, the alleged victim had last been seen in January, according to a search warrant in the case obtained by Law&Crime. On the winter day of her disappearance, the woman accepted a ride from a man she met walking in Asheville.
Soon enough, however, that offer of transport led her to a waking nightmare of forced confinement and sexual assault, authorities say.
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“[The victim] described being restrained by chains while inside a camper, being placed inside a wooden box, and being placed inside a metal box by Winston Eccleston to keep her from being able to leave,” one search warrant reads. “She described him assaulting her physically and verbally threatening her to keep her from leaving.”
The woman told investigators she was held captive in two separate campers at an RV park on Weeping Cherry Drive in Waynesville – a small town located roughly 30 miles due west of Asheville.
“[The victim] described both campers having dogs confined inside in cages or wood box that were covered in fleas, feces, and were malnourished,” a detective wrote on May 22. “She described seeing the dogs today.”
When executing the search warrant at the RV park, investigators found five dogs – as well as weapons and pieces of tactical gear.
“Trash and animal feces were scattered on the floor,” another warrant reads. “A wooden box to the left rear of the room contained several canines, that had been screwed shut. Hanging on the wall above the bed, several firearms on display in what would be the living room.”
A second detective described the recovered guns as: (1) a Radical Firearms “AR-15 style rifle”; (2) a “Highpoint pistol with live rounds” and the serial numbers “grinded off” stashed inside a tactical vest; and (3) a Smith & Wesson .22 caliber handgun.
A pair of black handcuffs with tape affixed to the chain were allegedly found next to the third gun. And just to “the immediate right” of the handcuffs, detectives said they found a door “with several locks on the exterior.” Inside that door, investigators found several cameras “pointed towards the room,” according to the search warrant.
A tell-tale description of the evidence in the room is included:
Multiple ropes and locks were located throughout along with an additional set of handcuffs. As the search continued silver in color truck toolbox laid on the floor by the exterior wall was observed. Set on the toolbox was a black in color plastic container that contained several zip ties, rope, gloves, face mask, and a whip.
As the investigation continued, the toolbox was opened and immediately noticed the odor from inside the toolbox was similar to the smell of human [defecation]. Laid inside was several blankets, socks and a chain. The floor of the toolbox was lined with carpet.
All that evidence combined, authorities say, support the woman’s claim of being held against her will, according to the search warrants.
But the allegations also border on the bizarre.
During the ordeal, the victim was allegedly taken to sometimes meet and dine with the defendant’s father, according to some of the warrants.
In a later interview with law enforcement the alleged victim described the defendant taking her to Applebee’s once to have dinner, according to one warrant. Eccleston’s father is said to have been at that meal.
One warrant describes the situation, at length:
[The woman] said she had been over to his dads house and believes his name is Stephen Eccleston. [The woman] said his dad lived off Pollywood Park and they had been over few times to cook food and take showers. Later in the interview [The woman] talks about them moving locations. [The woman] said she was in a trash can on the back of work buggy. [The woman] said at some point his dad was helping make the move, and his dad called him and said “hold up and wait, there’s law out here.” Lt. Greene asked [The woman] why his dad would say that about the law, and warn Winston that the law was out. [The woman] said because his dad knew about me[.]”
The warrant also alleges to contain a snippet of an emailed jail conversation between the son and his father in which the defendant allegedly asks: “do you still at least have the photo of her free.” The elder Eccleston allegedly replies: “yes, do. I’m also requesting my phone records to find out the exact date when we went to Applebee’s.”
In late June, law enforcement searched properties owned by the defendant’s father. In response to one question, the elder Eccleston described a second property “where ‘they’ spent most of their time and took showers,” according to one warrant.
Stephen Eccleston has not been charged with a crime as of this writing.
Despite the evidence of occasionally appearing in public, the defendant allegedly kept the victim under constant threat of violence, authorities say.
Winston Eccleston was arrested in late May; he was indicted earlier this month. The defendant is currently being detained in the Haywood County Detention Center without bond. His next court appearance is slated for Sept. 15.
