A 55-year-old St. Cloud man is in jail after court records allege he lured a homeless woman to his home, held her there for five days, and sexually assaulted her multiple times. Prosecutors say the woman went to the house believing she had been hired for a housekeeping job and eventually got away only after saying she needed to leave for a probation appointment. Police arrested Marquell Goree, and he now faces felony charges in Stearns County District Court. The case has also stirred up concerns about local shelter resources and the safety of people in precarious housing who take short-term work from strangers.
What Investigators Say
Court documents reviewed by WJON say Goree arranged for an Uber to pick the woman up from Lincoln Center and bring her to a house in the 600 block of 6th Street South after hiring her to clean. According to the complaint, Goree then pulled an eight-inch switchblade, grabbed her by the throat, told her she could not leave and sexually assaulted her multiple times over the next several days.
Items Recovered and Booking
When police searched the home, they "found a blue bathrobe matching the victim's description, a switchblade knife, and hair in the garbage," according to WJON. The Stearns County jail roster lists Goree as having been booked on Feb. 11, 2026, and shows he is being held while the case moves forward, per the Stearns County jail roster.
Charges and Legal Implications
According to court records, Goree is charged with two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of felony kidnapping. Under Minnesota law, first-degree criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping carry some of the toughest penalties on the books, with sections 609.342 and 609.25 of Minnesota Statutes outlining potential prison terms that can reach decades depending on the circumstances, per Minnesota Statutes and Minnesota Statutes.
Shelter and Community Context
The criminal complaint references Lincoln Center and the Place of Hope, both identified as local resources that offer shelter or warming services to people experiencing homelessness. That detail has fueled broader questions about how shelters and outreach programs can help protect clients who pick up informal work or meet with strangers for short jobs, according to information from Place of Hope and reporting by St. Cloud LIVE.
What’s Next
Prosecutors are expected to continue moving the case through Stearns County District Court, and Goree is due back in court on March 11. An arrest, however, does not equal guilt, and county booking records note that being listed on the roster is not proof of conviction, per the Stearns County jail roster.
