A man who falsely claimed to be a Native American activist has been sentenced to 46 years in prison for drugging and raping women. The case has prompted calls for changes to Washington state law to prevent defendants who represent themselves from directly questioning their accusers.
Redwolf Pope, 49, who maintained apartments in Seattle and Santa Fe, New Mexico, was arrested in 2018 after guests at his Seattle apartment provided police with videos from his iPad showing him sexually assaulting unconscious women. Police also found a hidden camera in his bathroom used to film women showering.
Pope was convicted of rape and voyeurism in Santa Fe in 2020 and sentenced to four years, with credit for time served. After release, he was extradited to Washington state for incidents in 2016 and 2017. He pleaded not guilty and represented himself, cross-examining one victim for multiple days.
Survivors are urging the Washington State Legislature to update the Crime Victim Bill of Rights to allow judges to appoint a designee to cross-examine victims instead of allowing self-represented defendants to do so. Pope claimed Western Shoshone and Tlingit heritage and worked as a spokesperson for the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, but his background was questioned after arrest. He holds a law degree but is not a licensed attorney, and tribes have found no record of his enrollment.
