News

Three Arrested in Nine-Year-Old Homicide Cold Case
— Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Jun 23, 2026

CMPD cold case detectives have identified and charged three suspects—Nathaniel Rorie, Broderick Falls, and David Webber—in connection with the 2017 shooting death of Raymond Johnson in Charlotte, North Carolina. After the case went cold, investigators continued pursuing leads and, with assistance from multiple law enforcement partners across North and South Carolina, arrested Falls and Rorie in June 2026; Webber was already in state custody. The investigation also benefited from forensic support provided through the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), DNA Labs International, Bode Technology, and the CMPD Crime Lab. Authorities credited the collaborative effort for helping advance the case and noted that the arrests increased Charlotte's 2017 homicide clearance rate to 77 percent.

Kentucky State Police Detectives Arrest Texas Man in Connection to 36-Year-Old Hardin County Sexual Assault Investigation
— Paxton Media Group, The Eagle Post, Jun 22, 2026

"A decades-old sexual assault investigation has led to an arrest, thanks to the persistence of Kentucky State Police (KSP) detectives and advancements in forensic technology. KSP Post 4 announce the arrest of Alberto Campirano, 66, of Texas, in connection with a 36-year-old sexual assault cold case in Hardin County that occurred in 1990 involving a young wife and mother who was home alone with her children when Campirano allegedly entered her home and raped her. In 2022, KSP Post 4 and the Sexual Assault Initiative (SAKI) Investigative Team began evaluating cases for potential retesting. Campirano was charged with a sex crime in Texas in 2012 and convicted in 2014, and KSP was able to retest DNA obtained from that arrest. In May of this year, a match in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) was made from the DNA analysis KSP was retesting, identifying Campirano as a suspect in the open sexual assault case from 1990. On June 11, 2026, the Hardin County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office presented the case to a grand jury, which indicted Campirano on charges of first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy and first-degree burglary. KSP Post 4 Detectives traveled to Crystal City, Texas, where they were assisted by the Texas Rangers Division Company D and the Zavala County Sheriff's Office in apprehending Campirano. He is currently awaiting extradition to Kentucky."

DNA Testing Leads to Arrest and Charges in 1990 Oxnard Cold Case
— Oxnard Police, Jun 11, 2026

Bobby Rollins Jr., of Long Beach, was arrested on June 10, 2026, and charged with kidnapping with intent to commit robbery for a 1990 attack in Oxnard, California, in which an 18-year-old victim was abducted at gunpoint, robbed, and forced down an embankment where she was sexually assaulted; additional charges related to the assault cannot be filed due to the statute of limitations. The case remained unsolved for decades until advances in DNA technology, supported by Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) funding, enabled forensic analysts to develop a DNA profile that matched Rollins in CODIS, leading to his identification and arrest. Prosecutors allege firearm use and aggravating factors including great violence and victim vulnerability, and Rollins now faces a potential life sentence. Investigators continue to seek an unidentified accomplice and information on possible related crimes.

SAKI Funds Help Solve 40-Year-Old Cold Case
— Forensic Magazine, May 22, 2026

In May 2026, police arrested 66-year-old Charles Berry for the 1986 rape and murder of 22-year-old Roberta Walls after renewed forensic testing and decades of investigative work linked his DNA to the crime, marking a major breakthrough for Virginia Beach authorities and offering long-awaited closure for Walls’ family.

Texas Rangers, Law Enforcement Partners Extradite 1986 Cold Case Killer Hiding in Mexico
— Texas Department of Public Safety, May 7, 2026

Law enforcement has identified Bobby Charles Taylor Sr. as the suspect in the 1986 rape and murder of 16-year-old Deanna Ogg, solving a decades-old cold case through advanced DNA testing and genealogy research. Ogg was attacked and killed while walking to a convenience store in Montgomery County, Texas, and although an innocent man was initially convicted, updated DNA evidence later cleared him. After the case was revived through the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) and re-examined with modern forensic methods, investigators linked the crime to Taylor, who had been living as a fugitive in Mexico. He turned himself in to the FBI in April 2026, was extradited to Texas, and charged with capital murder on May 4, 2026. Authorities credit the breakthrough to coordinated efforts among the Texas Rangers, Montgomery County agencies, the FBI, forensic labs, and federal SAKI funding.

Maine to create statewide sexual assault kit tracking system
— Katie Delaney, News Center Maine, Apr 20, 2026

Cumberland County is making significant progress in their inventory of unsubmitted sexual assault kits across 19 of the county's 20 law enforcement agencies. This progress aligns with Maine’s anticipated launch of a statewide SAK tracking system. Once implemented, this system will give survivors the ability to monitor their SAK online and follow its status throughout the justice process.

North Carolina Resident Arrested and Charged in 1990 Sussex County Cold Case
— New Jersey State Police, Apr 13, 2026

"The New Jersey State Police and the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office announce the arrest of Robert McCaffrey Jr., 54, of Manteo, NC, following an investigation into the 1990 murder of Lisa McBride of Highland Lakes, NJ. On October 20, 1990, at approximately 9:30 a.m., a hunter discovered skeletal remains in a wooded area off Old Mine Road in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in Sandyston Township in Sussex County. Due to the advanced decomposition of the body, the cause and manner of death could not be determined. Through the use of dental records, the identity was confirmed to be Lisa Marie McBride, who went missing on June 22, 1990. The case remained with the New Jersey State Police Major Crime Unit until the creation of the New Jersey State Police Cold Unit in February 2020. In August 2020, key evidence was submitted to DNA Laboratories International for advanced testing, as DNA testing had advanced over the years. DNA obtained at the time only confirmed that a male profile was only suitable for direct comparison, but not eligible for a Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) entry - digital DNA profile. Over the next 5 years, detectives conducted extensive follow-up to include comparing the profile against more than 50 individuals and numerous polygraphs. In 2014, following an arrest in connection with the disappearance of his wife, Gayle McCaffrey (who remains missing) in Charleston County, South Carolina, on March 18, 2012, McCaffrey’s DNA profile was entered into CODIS. In 2022, as part of the ongoing investigation, McBride’s remains were exhumed to obtain a definitive DNA sample for comparison. This step was essential because of advancements in DNA analysis, particularly modern genotyping, which enabled investigators to separate the unknown male’s DNA from the mixed sample. This separation was crucial for meeting the requirements for CODIS entry. This CODIS entry proved pivotal to investigative efforts. In February 2026, a CODIS match identified the male DNA contributor as Robert William McCaffrey Jr. Subsequent investigative efforts confirmed that McCaffrey was living in Sussex County at the time of McBride’s disappearance. On April 10, 2026, the Nags Head Police Department conducted a motor vehicle stop on McCaffrey in North Carolina, and he was taken into custody. A court-authorized residential search warrant resulted in the recovery of 5 firearms. McCaffrey was charged with murder, kidnapping, and burglary and was lodged in the Dare County Detention Center pending extradition to New Jersey. These cold case investigative initiatives in New Jersey are made possible through the NJSP-awarded SAKI grant, which provides critical support for the examination of unresolved violent crimes by funding advanced DNA testing, enhanced research methodologies, and modern investigative technologies. The specialized expertise and advanced analytical capabilities of the NJSP Forensic Laboratory have substantially strengthened the State’s ability to identify offenders and have provided affected families with greater opportunities for a long-awaited resolution."

Stephen Paul Gale found guilty in 1989 Framingham rape,kidnapping case
— Emily Maher, WCVB, Mar 24, 2026

A jury convicted Stephen Paul Gale, 73, of raping and kidnapping two women during an armed assault at a Hit or Miss clothing store in Framingham, Massachusetts, in December 1989. Gale was found guilty of four counts of aggravated rape, two counts of kidnapping, and one count of armed robbery. DNA evidence played a central role at trial, with experts testifying that tissue recovered from a store bag was extraordinarily more likely to have come from Gale than from anyone else. After decades out of state, Gale was arrested in August 2024 in California, where he was found living on a yacht, following a police chase. Prosecutors argued the statute of limitations was tolled because Gale lived outside Massachusetts for nearly all of the past 35 years. Evidence also showed Gale used multiple aliases and faced unrelated fraud charges in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, though those charges were ultimately dropped

Man Pleads Guilty in 1994 Rape Case
— James City County Virginia, Mar 19, 2026

On September 27, 1994, a male suspect entered a home on Las Brisas Court in James City County at approximately 12:45 a.m. and raped the 32-year-old female occupant. A composite sketch of the suspect was released to the media, but the case eventually went cold. In February 2024, investigators resubmitted DNA evidence from the assault, and advances in forensic DNA analysis produced a match: Lorenzo Hawes, now 64, of Knoxville, Tennessee. Hawes lived in the same neighborhood as the victim at the time of the offense. Following the DNA match, detectives from the James City County Police Department traveled to Knoxville to interview Lorenzo Hawes, who was subsequently indicted for rape and sodomy. Although Hawes’ trial was originally scheduled for today, March 19, he has since pleaded guilty to rape. The sodomy charge has been nolle prossed as part of a plea agreement negotiated with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. Sentencing has been set for April 6, 2026. Hawes remains incarcerated at the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail.

Serial rapist sentenced to life in prison after guilty plea in DeKalb County
— Josh White and Justin Berger, Atlanta News First, Mar 12, 2026

Wesley Cooley, 64, was sentenced to life in prison without parole plus 50 years after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including rape, attempted rape, kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated sodomy, and aggravated assault, in cases involving four victims ages 16 to 26. Although only four cases were included in the indictment, investigators later linked his DNA to 10 assaults committed between 1999 and 2017 across DeKalb, Fulton, and Rockdale counties. Prosecutors said Cooley targeted victims who were alone by offering them rides and then assaulting them elsewhere, and he was ultimately arrested in 2017 after a 19-year-old woman escaped and called 911. Victim impact statements described long-lasting trauma, fear, and loss of security, and the district attorney noted that the survivors had waited years for answers and hoped the sentencing would bring some measure of closure.