Lewis County Rape Case Involving Rapper ‘Lil Mosey’ Set for Trial July 18 

Judge Hears Pretrial Motions in Lewis County Superior Court

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Seattle rapper Lil Mosey, legally named Lathan Moses Echols, is scheduled to face trial alongside Joshua Darrow and Francisco Prater later this month for the alleged second-degree rape of a woman at a party in Randle in January 2020. 

Echols, 20, and Prater, 19, are accused of having sex with a woman “while she was incapable of consent by reason of being physically helpless or mentally incapacitated,” according to court documents. Darrow, 20, is accused of restraining the alleged victim during the incident. 

The three codefendants were each charged with one count of second-degree rape in April 2021. All are out of custody on unsecured bail. 

Echols appeared virtually in Lewis County Superior Court on Friday for hearings on three pretrial motions made by his attorney, Shane O’Rourke. The motions included a request to “sever” Echols’ case from the other codefendants' cases, a request to exclude evidence related to an attempted shoplifting Echols was involved in and a request to admit “prior and contemporaneous acts of the victim” into evidence. 

Judge James Lawler denied O’Rourke’s motion to separate the three codefendants’ cases, meaning all three will have a joint trial as planned. 

Lawler granted O’Rourke’s request to exclude the attempted shoplifting case, in which Echols and Prater allegedly tried to steal a pair of socks from White Pass Lodge the day of the alleged rape in Randle, from evidence. Deputy Prosecutor Paul Masiello had argued the case was relevant, even though Echols and Prater were never charged for the theft, as it was a “dishonest act that affects (Echols’) credibility, but Lawler ruled that the incident wasn’t relevant to the case at hand. 

Regarding O’Rourke’s request to admit “prior and contemporaneous acts of the victim,” specifically the victim’s behavior during the party where the alleged rape occurred, Lawler issued a more nuanced decision. 

The victim reportedly told police that she had gone to a party in Randle to see Echols on Jan. 6, 2020, and had consumed alcohol. Echols then reportedly got into a car with the victim and her friend, at which point the victim and Echols both agreed they had consensual sex, according to the defense and prosecuting attorneys. The victim stated she blacked out soon after and later awoke to Echols and Prater assaulting her inside the Randle residence. 

Because the victim’s underwear has been entered into evidence, O’Rourke asked the court to allow him to use details related to the consensual sex that took place in the car as a defense for why analysis of the underwear revealed Echols’ DNA. 



Lawler granted O’Rourke’s request to admit those specific details relating to the evidence on the underwear.

While O’Rourke mentioned admitting details on what he called the victim’s “flirtatious” behavior at the party and said he needed to “argue that she’s lying about the whole situation,” Lawler ruled that details unrelated to the underwear would not be admissible.  

“It’s appropriate to allow the defense to get into detail related to sexual intercourse in the vehicle … but I don’t see that it needs to go beyond those kinds of details,” Lawler said. 

Evidence related to the victim’s consumption of drugs or alcohol will be allowed as that is related to her ability to consent, Lawler said. 

A trial confirmation hearing is scheduled for July 14 in preparation for a June 18 trial.