Woman's voicemail indicates her assault before she calls 911, police say

OCEAN SPRINGS -- A voicemail message containing a man's threats to a woman and the sounds of her moaning in pain raised concerns for the woman, who later called 911 for help in Pascagoula, police said.

The woman's boyfriend, Cody L. Rafter, was arrested Sunday on a charge of aggravated domestic assault.

The voicemail message to the 20-year-old woman's supervisor wasn't opened for several hours, but it prompted a search across several cities. While police were trying to find her, she called 911 from a Pascagoula motel while her boyfriend left to do some shopping, said Detective Sgt. William Jackson of the Ocean Springs Police Department.

"Her face was badly bruised and she had bite marks all over her body," Jackson said.

Rafter, 27, of Hasting Road, Gautier, had called the woman's supervisor in Biloxi about 5 a.m. Sunday to say she wouldn't be reporting to work, and he left a voicemail the woman's supervisor listened to five hours later, Jackson said.

Rafter had failed to end the phone call, Jackson said, and the supervisor became alarmed at what was recorded. Rafter could be heard threatening the woman, who made sounds indicating she was in pain, Jackson said.

Jackson said the woman's cellphone soon died.

The supervisor called a Biloxi Police Department dispatcher about 10 a.m.

Police later learned Rafter had taken the woman and his child to Regency Motel in Pascagoula, and the woman reported the assault from the manager's office while Rafter had left to go shopping, Jackson said.

Police at first had no idea how to find her.

Biloxi police determined the woman lives in Ocean Springs, and contacted Ocean Springs police. Officers went to her home and a parent said she had left home about 11 p.m. Saturday to meet up with friends, and said she had planned to spend the night with a girlfriend, Jackson said.

Ocean Springs Detective Lt. Bruce Spearnock led an investigation that revealed the woman had a boyfriend of eight months and could be with him. Spearnock and a Gautier police detective went to a home in Gautier and found the woman's vehicle, but neither of them were there. A resident reportedly said Rafter had been there earlier Sunday.

Meanwhile, Rafter left the motel to go grocery shopping, Jackson said, and that's when the woman found a way call 911.

Police arrested Rafter at the Pascagoula Walmart and took him to the Ocean Springs Police Department.

He was being held with no bond pending court action and further investigation.

Anyone with information about any aspect of the incident is asked to call Ocean Springs police 228-875-2211.

This story was originally published March 7, 2016 at 11:16 AM with the headline "Woman's voicemail indicates her assault before she calls 911, police say ."