Anchorage Daily News

An Anchorage man accused of brutally raping and assaulting a woman in Cordova has been convicted on three felony sexual assault and assault counts, according to Anchorage police.

Michael David Phillips, 33, was accused of beating and raping a 24-year-old woman in Cordova in October 2006, leaving the victim so severely injured she needed to be medevacked to Anchorage for treatment, police said.

The victim suffered severe injuries to her face, head and body -- including shattered eye sockets. Her eyes were so swollen she couldn't see, with two cuts under her eyes that had to be stitched shut. The rest of her body and head were covered in cuts and bruises as well, police said.

After the reported rape, Cordova police requested assistance from the Anchorage police special victims unit, which met the victim at Providence Alaska Medical Center.

In the following days, police showed the woman a photo lineup, and the victim was able to identify a suspect, Phillips. Although he lives in Anchorage, he was working in Cordova at the time of the attack, police said.

Phillips was arrested and held in a Cordova jail until his trial. Because Cordova is a small town and the crime had been widely publicized, his trial was moved to Anchorage, beginning April 8, police said. Nearly four weeks later, on May 2, the jury convicted Phillips on all three counts he was facing: first-degree sexual assault and first- and second-degree assault, all felonies.

Under new sentencing guidelines established in 2006, he faces a maximum of 41 years in prison at his hearing scheduled for July 11.

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