Jul 29, 2008 4:26 pm US/Eastern
DNA Connects Man To 1987 Rape Near Towson
TOWSON, Md. (WJZ) ―
For two decades, police searched for a suspect in a brutal rape in Towson, Baltimore County. Now, they're getting a break in this cold case.
As
Jessica Kartalija reports, police have made a DNA match. It could even link the suspect to other rapes in Baltimore.
It happened in 1987. A 23-year-old woman was dragged into the woods as she got out of her car in the 6600-block of English Oak Drive. She was forced to commit sex acts and was then raped multiple times. Finally, she was robbed. All of it happened at knifepoint.
For all these years the rape has remained a cold case. Now, more than two decades later, police say they have a break.
"This happened late last week, thanks to a DNA sample that had been preserved for about 20 years," said Bill Toohey, Baltimore County Police spokesman.
That sample matched Lewis Phinix Thornton, Jr., who was convicted for a different rape in 1988.
Thornton was arrested at his Baltimore City home. He is now charged with first-degree rape and three counts of first-degree sex offense.
He is being held without bail at the Baltimore County Detention Center. Meanwhile, police are trying to determine if he's connected with any other crimes.
"Nobody gets away without a good, close look," Toohey said. "We look to see what else they might be involved in, maybe a robbery, who knows."
Thornton's arrest is the result of DNA evidence obtained 20 years ago by Dr. Rudiger Breitnecker, who founded GBMC's rape care center.
"Dr. Breitnecker believed that at some point in the future there would be the ability to identify a possible suspect as a result of collecting this secretion or body fluid from this victim," said Linda Kelly, a nurse with the program.
Breitnecker collected forensic evidence and then made slides and froze them. Then, years later, police began to research the cases and used the combined DNA index system or "CODIS," as it's called.
This case is one of the 49 solved using that system. A total of 30 arrests have been made.
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