Creek County man arrested for abducting and raping a Tulsa nurse on her way to work

Authorities have arrested a man in connection with the abduction and rape of a Tulsa nurse early Saturday morning. <br><br>36 year old Michael Wayne McWhirt is in the Creek County jail. News on 6 reporter

Sunday, March 28th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Authorities have arrested a man in connection with the abduction and rape of a Tulsa nurse early Saturday morning.

36 year old Michael Wayne McWhirt is in the Creek County jail. News on 6 reporter Patrina Adger says Creek County Sheriff's deputies arrested McWhirt at his Kellyville home Saturday evening.

Tulsa Police spokesman Scott Walton talked about the charges against McWhirt. "He was charged with kidnapping, first degree rape, forcible sodomy. Tulsa Police department received assistance earlier today by OSBI."

A contract nurse with Saint John Medical Center had just arrived to work Saturday morning when she says a man approached her in the hospital parking garage, asking for the time. "She gave him the time and started to walk away and was looking in her purse for something else and next thing she knew he had a knife and told her don't scream."

Tulsa Police say pictures from hospital surveillance cameras shows the suspect driving around the parking garage in a blue Astro van. The victim says she was forced into the van and driven to a hotel at 5700 West Skelly Drive where she was raped.

After the rape, the suspect dropped the victim off at this gas station at 15th & Utica where witnesses heard her screams for help. Tulsa Police Captain Gary Rudick: â€œShe begins to scream and when she does witnesses, there were two, I believe they're Department of Corrections employees, but I'm not sure and one of those. The man confronted him and he, the suspect, jumped back in the vehicle and drove off.â€

But authorities picked up the suspectâ€™s trail again in Kellyville Saturday night.

Captain Gary Rudick says investigators donâ€™t know if McWhirt is responsible for other rapes in recent months. He says women should always be aware of their surroundings and never get out of their car if someone nearby looks suspicious.