Severely disabled Utah woman, 31, who was raped repeatedly by stepdad after mom caught it on camera dies suddenly – just weeks after suspect pled guilty to five felony charges
A severely disabled Utah woman who was raped repeatedly by her stepdad on a camera her mom installed, has died suddenly – just weeks after the suspect pled guilty to five felony charges.
Ashley Vigil, 31, had a rare disorder called Rett syndrome, a genetic mutation that affects brain development in fewer than 1,000 people in the U.S., almost exclusively girls.
It was revealed that she was repeatedly raped by her stepfather, Brian Kenneth Urban, 51, after her mother installed cameras in the bedroom to monitor her seizures as a result of her deteriorating condition.
Urban pled guilty to five felony charges after raping his disabled stepdaughter. He will appear in court for sentencing on April 5.
After the gruesome discovery, her mother and full-time caretaker, Paula Vigil, worked to pass ‘Ashley’s Law,’ in order to help protect vulnerable adults in the same way that children and elderly people are protected by laws.
Ashley Vigil, 31, a severely disabled woman with Rett syndrome who was repeatedly raped by her stepfather, Brian Kenneth Urban, 51, has died suddenly
Brian Kenneth Urban, 51, pled guilty to five felony charges after raping his 31-year-old disabled stepdaughter, Ashley Vigil
‘She’s grown to about the size of an eight-year-old girl. She’s unable to communicate,’ Ashley’s mother Paula Vigil, 49, said. ‘Her seizures had suddenly increased’
‘She’s grown to about the size of an eight-year-old girl. She’s unable to communicate,’ Ashley’s mother Paula Vigil, 49, said at the time. ‘Her seizures had suddenly increased.’
While Urban pled guilty to the charges, including rape and forcible sexual abuse, the victim and her family were facing the continuous nightmare caused by his repeated abuse.
The disturbing revelations of Urban’s sickening behavior came about in October 2022 – after Ashley’s doctor recommended that Paula set up cameras in her bedroom to monitor her daughter’s mysterious seizures to gain some understanding of what was going on.
Paula told 2KUTV that her daughter’s seizures were worsening. She was also struggling to eat and losing weight. Her doctor recommended installing a camera in her bedroom to see when the seizures were occurring.
What she saw was far worse than she could have ever imagined.
‘Instead of catching the seizures, I caught him,’ Paula told 2KUTV.
‘In her condition, she [Ashley] can’t move. He had to completely undress her, move her to the couch, and take her diaper off, to do what he did. Then he had to dress her and put her back in her bed, so I wouldn’t know.’
While Urban plead guilty to the charges, including rape and forcible sexual abuse, the victim and her family were still facing the nightmare caused by his repeated abuse
The heartbroken mother said she made a promise to her daughter that ‘she would never be anywhere where she wasn’t safe.’ She said ‘he took that one thing I promised away’
Paula believes that the seizures were a result of Ashley’s body screaming for help.
‘Her body was seizing, and she was crying for help in the only way she could,’ Paula said. ‘If not for those cameras, I would have never known, and I would have never had proof.’
After the horrific discovery, Paula called dispatch and South Jordan police arrested Urban.
Nathan Woodward, a Utah attorney, saw Paula’s story on Facebook and was ‘rattled.’ He decided to reach out and offer to help the family.
‘I just want Paula and Ashley to feel heard. There’s a real gap in how our law is written and applied,’ Woodward said.
The attorney explained that when someone is raped and their attacker is found guilty, the severity of punishment is determined by whether the victim was an adult or a minor.
However, ‘no substantive consideration is given as to an adult victim’s mental capacity, resulting in an inconsistent underlying philosophy as to why we justify more severe punishments for crimes against children,’ he explained.
Ashley Vigil, 31, had a rare disorder known as Rett syndrome, a genetic mutation that affects brain development in girls that affects fewer than 1,000 people in the US
Paula Vigil took care of her daughter Ashley full-time and identified her as the victim in this case to help pass ‘Ashley’s Law,’ which she believes will help protect vulnerable adults in the same way that children and elderly people are protected by laws
Nathan Woodward, a Utah attorney, saw Paula’s story on Facebook and was ‘rattled’. He decided to reach out and offer to help the family
Paula explained that there is no mandatory prison sentence for Urban, so the family has no idea what the sentencing will be.
‘She [Ashley] is an infant in an adult body. He did this to someone who could not fight back. He should be getting a mandatory prison sentence, and there’s just this hole in the system.’
Paula and Woodward are hoping to pass ‘Ashley’s Law’ to account for vulnerable adults in response to the broken system.
The heartbroken mother said she made a promise to her daughter that ‘she would never be anywhere where she wasn’t safe.’ She said ‘he took that one thing I promised away.’
‘Brian Kenneth Urban came into our lives pretending. The act he put on convinced me. Convinced me he loved my girls and would care for them as I do. That he would protect them,’ Paula said on Facebook. ‘Little did I know, what we needed protection from was him.’
