By John Dobberstein, Editor
TULSA — A transient Tulsa man from Tulsa who was retried and found guilty a second time of assault has been sentenced to life in prison, U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson says.
U.S. District Judge John F Heil III sentenced Elga Eugene Harper, 43, to life after a federal jury convicted him of kidnapping, aggravated sexual abuse by force and threat, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault resulting in serious bodily injury in Indian Country.
According to court documents, in May 2022 Harper showed up at Ellen “Ellie” Finlay’s house unannounced. Finlay was a nun and knew Harper was homeless, so she would pay Harper to fix things around her home.
Prosecutors said Ellie told Harper that she had no work for him and he then requested to use the restroom, and Ellie allowed him to.
Finlay told the jury Harper bound her arms and legs and tied a noose around her neck, and then moved her to the shower, where he sexually assaulted her. Prosecutors said Harper physically and sexually assaulted her for more than 4 hours, and also went through her home and took some of her possessions.
Harper was found guilty during his federal trial in February 2023 and sentenced a few months later. He then filed an appeal to the 10th Circuit Court and the guilty verdict was overturned in 2024, triggering a retrial. While awaiting retrial, Finlay passed away in February.
During sentencing, a victim impact statement written by Finlay was read on her behalf. In that statement, Finlay said:
“Everyone who knows me knows that I am a practicing Christian. As such I have an obligation to forgive my enemies, to bless those who curse me and to pray for those who despitefully use me. I am struggling to fulfill this obligation with sincerity. I pray that God will turn Mr. Harper’s heart from evil to good, will lead him to repentance and will give him the knowledge and understanding that he is loved by the God who created him and who grieves for the great wrong he has done.
“I also, as a Christian, have the obligation to love my neighbor as myself and my neighbor, most assuredly, is the next woman out there who may well fall prey to Mr. Harper’s horrific propensity for violence if he were to be a free member of society at any point during the remainder of his life. It is my honest conviction that he should not ever, ever, ever be free again.”
Harper is a member of the Choctaw Nation and will continue to remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melody Nelson, Valeria Luster and Kenneth Elmore prosecuted the case.
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