St. Martinville – The 28-year-old Scott man local authorities say was a serial killer in training was sentenced to 30 years at hard labor last week for the rape of a woman in an oil field off the Breaux Bridge Highway.

Marcus Donte Steele drew the maximum sentence under a plea bargain with the district attorney’s office.

“I am very pleased with the final outcome of this interesting and complex case,” said ADA Chester Cedars, who had been faced with the daunting task of convicting Steele on the testimony of witnesses who are or drug addicts, prostitutes or both.

Thanks to the hard work of several investigators led by Detective Karen Mouton of the St. Martin Sheriff’s Office for forcible rape, Cedars managed to assemble six women who would point to Steele as the man who raped them, at the same location and in the same manner.

Cedars said that had he not been stopped, Steele was very likely to turn to murder.

Steele agreed to plead guilty to one rape if assured he would not be prosecuted for the others.

He will serve the 30 years without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.

“This was the maximum sentence under the plea accord and was what I requested of the court,” Cedars said.

Steele pleaded guilty in 16th Judicial Court in St. Martinville on Dec. 2, 2009.