International Courant
A 56-year-old Virginia man was discovered responsible this week of rape and armed housebreaking in a 32-year-old chilly case, officers mentioned.
DNA proof from the sufferer’s sexual assault package was matched to Vernon Lorenzo Homosexual, 56, after it was retested two years in the past.
The retesting was a part of a grant-funded Virginia Sexual Assault Equipment Initiative by the state’s lawyer normal that started in 2016.
Homosexual climbed by means of one of many sufferer’s three youngsters’s home windows on the night time of Might 5, 1992, discovered her bed room and raped her in her personal mattress whereas one in every of her youngsters was in mattress along with her, town of Norfolk, Virginia, mentioned in a information launch.
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A 56-year-old Virginia man was discovered responsible this week of rape and armed housebreaking in a 32-year-old chilly case, officers mentioned. (Norfolk Police Division )
One other baby was additionally within the room in a crib and a 3rd was within the subsequent room.
The sufferer wasn’t in a position to determine her attacker, and whereas a rape package was administered, no leads had been uncovered and the case went chilly.
In July 2022, the rape package was submitted for testing and Homosexual was discovered as a match final November.
Homosexual’s protection crew claimed that he had consensual intercourse along with her, which the sufferer denied, telling police when a match was made that she didn’t know him.
The jury discovered Homosexual responsible of rape and armed housebreaking with intent to commit rape on Wednesday after deliberating for below two hours.
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“In the present day’s verdict brings much-needed solace and closure on this chilly case, underscoring the unrelenting dedication of state and native legislation enforcement to safe justice, regardless of how a lot time has handed,” Virginia Lawyer Basic Jason Miyares mentioned. “I am gratified that our SAKI initiative helped fund this very important partnership and made this decision attainable.” (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Name, Inc by way of Getty Photographs)
“As soon as once more, Norfolk leads Virginia with the primary SAKI [Sexual Assault Kit Initiative] jury to go ahead within the Commonwealth,” Commonwealth’s Lawyer Ramin Fatehi mentioned in a press release. “Thanks to former Lawyer Basic Mark Herring and Lawyer Basic Jason Miyares for devoting sources to check again proof instances in instances like these.”
He added, “The wheels of justice could transfer slowly, however they by no means cease, and we now have served justice as we speak. I’m glad that we had been in a position to carry a measure of closure, in any case this time, for the survivor and her household, and to have the ability to maintain Vernon Homosexual accountable for this horrible crime.”
Homosexual’s household maintains his innocence.
“He’s a really, superb individual. Good father. Good pal. Good employee. Good uncle. Good brother,’ one in every of Homosexual’s family members instructed WVEC-TV.
Fatehi defined to WAVY-TV that the “statute of limitations on a felony in Virginia is ceaselessly.”
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Homosexual’s sentencing listening to has been set for Dec. 20.
“In the present day’s verdict brings much-needed solace and closure on this chilly case, underscoring the unrelenting dedication of state and native legislation enforcement to safe justice, regardless of how a lot time has handed,” Virginia Lawyer Basic Jason Miyares mentioned. “I am gratified that our SAKI initiative helped fund this very important partnership and made this decision attainable.”
Virginia man discovered responsible of 1992 chilly case rape as a part of initiative to check rape kits
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