Vigilante who plotted to attack imprisoned child rapist jailed for 25 years

A vigilante prison inmate who plotted to attack a child rapist at the same correctional facility has been jailed for 25 years. David Hightower, 38, was handed the sentence on Tuesday after admitting conspiracy to commit battery on Tristan Tiarks, 34, who is serving a 30 year sentence for raping a three year-old girl.

Hightower offered to have Tiarks attacked after allegedly chatting to Leah Brausell, 38, over the phone and via email while he was being held at Bentonville County Jail in Arkansas.

Brausell, whose connection to Tiarks and his victim has not been outlined, previously denied a conspiracy charge, and is due back in court at a later date. Hightower, a convicted robber, is said to have told her that while he could not get to Tiarks personally, he knew someone else in jail who could.

He also vowed to ‘break every bone in Tiark’s face,’ should they ever end up in the same prison. Hightower is said to have passed on the name of the prisoner who was willing to attack Tiark, with Brausell allegedly saying she’d be happy to pay to arrange a vigilante attack.

Brausell admitted communicating with Hightower, and putting money into his commissary account, but insists she did not ask for Tiarks to be attacked.

Hightower has also insisted that he offered to arrange an attack on Tiarks as a favor to Brausell, and claims she never told him to do so, or paid him.

Brausell remains free on bail ahead of her next court hearing, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported. Tiarks, a former physical therapist, tied a towel around the throat of his victim in January 2019 and sexually assaulted her.

The youngster was attacked after her mother left her with Tiarks for 45 minutes to go to the store. His relationship to his victim and her mother was not outlined.

He was jailed for 30 years in February 2020.

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