Serial rapist James Edward Webb, who’s serving 25 years to life in prison, has now been linked to the 23-year-old crime
New York City detectives say they’ve finally cracked a 23-year-old cold case thanks to DNA evidence.
The victim, 29, told police on April 26, 1994, that she was dragged into the bushes and raped while walking through Brooklyn’s Prospect Park with her groceries.
She gave police a detailed description of her attacker who was carrying a large stick or cane, and had also demanded money from her.
Yet when her story was reported, late Daily News columnist Mike McAlary wrote that he believed it was a hoax.
He claimed he’d heard from a source the woman invented her story because she wanted to bolster a speech she was to give at a rally about violence against lesbians.
The woman sued for libel, but the case was dismissed.
Now, more than two decades later, Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce says cops have matched DNA from the crime to serial rapist James Edward Webb, 67, who’s serving 25 years to life in prison.
At the time, police say technology was not advanced enough to trace the alleged rapist.
This 1994 sketch provided by the New York City police department was based off the victim’s detailed description of her attacker
‘The DNA evidence we collected was co-mingled with the victim,’ NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said Tuesday, according to New York Daily News.
‘At the time, we didn’t have the technology to subtract the two and get a profile. It was difficult… one of those perfect storms of problems.’
In November last year, detectives decided to take another look at the case and, using new technology, were able to extract the attacker’s DNA and run it through their system.
She says she was assaulted while walking through Prospect Park with her groceries in 1994
‘We went back to the victim, asked her for her DNA, which she gave us, redacted it from the sample and ran the (suspect’s) DNA and got a hit.’
Webb, who was convicted of raping six women between 1969 and 1973, is now facing new rape charges.
He’d been out on parole at the time of the attack on the cold case victim. He also attacked four others and was arrested again in 1995.
Boyce said Wednesday the woman wept with joy when she was told.
‘We spoke with the victim last night,’ Boyce said. ‘You can imagine how emotional she was. I think my detectives cried with her.’
Webb denies raping the woman.