Community Corner

Increased Effort to Capture East Coast Rapist

The FBI says the rape of a New Haven woman in 2007 is among more than a dozen incidents to which a suspect's DNA has been tied.

The FBI hopes that a massive campaign to capture the East Coast Rapist will bring about justice for 17 women who were violently attacked over the last 14 years.

The effort officially got underway today when the FBI, in partnership with six police departments from four states, launched the website,eastcoastrapist.com.

The site features a history of the 17 incidents, detailed descriptions of the suspect including an artist’s rendering, and provides contact information to tip police off to the suspect’s identity or whereabouts. A reward is being offered.

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In addition, digital billboards featuring composite sketches of the offender are now running in Connecticut, Maryland, Rhode Island and Virginia, where the attacks and attempts have occurred, as well as neighboring states New Jersey, New York and Delaware. Since the start of the FBI’s digital billboard partnership, at least 39 cases have been solved as a direct result from tips from the public, according to police.

“These billboards give each local police department, and the FBI, an added edge to identifying, locating and apprehending the subject,” said Ronald Hosko, special agent in charge of the Criminal Division, FBI, Washington Field Office. “The public is the most important tool law enforcement has for solving crime.”

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The New Haven rape occurred on Jan. 10, 2007.

According to the site, at 1:21 a.m. on that day, “a man slips into a woman's first-floor apartment through an unlocked window. The woman awakes to find the man in her bedroom. He threatens to kill her 11-month-old son who is still sleeping in a crib in her room. He rapes her while placing a pillowcase over her head and asks if she ‘liked it.’ After the rape, the attacker scolds her for leaving her windows unsecured with a baby inside.”

Police have DNA linking the suspect of the New Haven rape to more than a dozen others in East Coast states. Hundreds of leads have been followed and many suspects cleared, but police are not giving up. And they hope this campaign will be the thing that cracks the case open.

“That’s what this is all about … hoping someone comes forward with information,” said New Haven Police Department Spokesman Joe Avery.

“We have the DNA linking the offender, but we need someone to recognize and identify him,” said John Kelly, detective with the Fairfax County Police Department.

The suspect is described as a black male in his 40s, approximately six feet tall and 185-200 pounds. The full description is available on the East Coast Rapist site.

Police encourage anyone with information about the crimes to call 1-866-411-TIPS or send an anonymous text: “TIP187" plus your message to CRIMES (274637).


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