VINCENNES, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Vincennes authorities are hoping new technology will be the key to solving the city’s only violent unsolved crime.
On Nov. 21, 2008, a young woman was sexually assaulted and physically battered in her Vincennes apartment. According to Vincennes PD Detective Sgt. Stacy Reese, the victim received “significant physical injuries” as a result of the attack.
A press conference was held Wednesday to unveil results of a DNA analysis of a person of interest in the case.
“The female was not a Vincennes resident. She was a 21-year-old who had come here to further her goals in life,” Reese said.
“This investigation never stopped,” Police Chief Robert Dunham added.
Reese noted that the new DNA analysis gave the department something to bring to the public.
“The public is always helpful anytime you do a major investigation,” she said. “Any lead is never too small.”
The DNA analysis completed by Parabon NanoLabs included two composite sketches of the person of interest. One sketch shows what the person would have looked like in his 20s while the other shows him in his 30s.
Reese and Dunham asked the public to look at the composites and think back to what they were doing and where they were at when the assault took place.
“Stop, take your time and think about what you were doing at that time,” Dunham said.
Parabon works with law enforcement agencies across the country to help solve cold cases including helping to find the suspected “Potomac River Rapist” who terrorized the nation’s capital in the 1990s. Reese said the department has worked with the lab on other cases.
“This is our only violent unsolved crime,” she said. “Chief Dunham’s desire is that we don’t have any unsolved crimes, and that we bring justice to this young lady.”
Reese said the department wants the public to know authorities are doing everything in their power to solve the case. She noted that the person who committed the crime should also be aware that they are still actively working the case.
“This person that committed this crime committed a violent home-invasion and sexual assault,” she said. “Wherever they’re at, we want to make sure that they understand that we have not stopped, that we will not stop and that they will be found.”
Reese noted they are releasing these snapshots to ensure they are utilizing every tool possible to find this person.
“If you personally knew the victim, think about when you were with the victim and where you may have been together and who was around you,” said Chief Dunham. We think there’s people out there who know the suspect.”
Anyone with information in the case should call the Vincennes PD at (812) 882-1630 or email sreese@vincennes.in.gov.
