Belltown rapist admits murder

The man accused of raping and killing a woman in an alley in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood in September has pleaded guilty to that and two other sex crimes.

Andre Charles Stevens, 25, pleaded guilty as charged yesterday in King County Superior Court to first-degree murder, second-degree rape, second-degree attempted rape and communicating with a minor, according to the King County prosecutor's office.

In the Belltown case, Stevens pleaded guilty to raping and killing 27-year-old Robin Annette Langston on Sept. 15.

That morning, Stevens, a day laborer and janitor, was seen wearing only socks and boxer shorts and standing over the body of a woman in an alley near Third Avenue and Blanchard Street. Someone who heard a woman's screams called police, who chased Stevens three blocks before arresting him.

Medical examiners determined that Langston had been raped and strangled.

Stevens also pleaded guilty to attempting to rape a 42-year-old woman Aug. 26 in her apartment near Seattle's Pike Place Market. Stevens lived in the same building.

After hearing of the Langston killing, the woman recognized Stevens as her attacker and told police. In an interview with The Times, she said that the night of the incident, Stevens surprised her, attacked her and left her for dead.

Stevens pleaded guilty to a third incident in which he was accused of exposing himself to a 13-year-old girl and asking for sex. Details of that incident, which happened in January, are not available.

He is scheduled to be sentenced next month. The combined sentences for all the convictions range from 23½ to more than 31 years in prison.