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DNA Breakthrough Solves 1970s Baltimore Rapes After Decades
15 Sep
Summary
- DNA evidence from 2023 linked a suspect to 1970s and 1980s rapes.
- The suspect, James Shipe Sr., was convicted and sentenced to life.
- Historical evidence was preserved on slides from the 1970s.
Decades after a string of rapes terrorized Baltimore County, James Shipe Sr., 73, has been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. The guilty verdict on rape, sex offense, and burglary charges marks the culmination of a long investigation.
Shipe was linked to five rapes that occurred between 1978 and 1986 within a one-mile radius in Cockeysville, Maryland. Investigators revisited historical police records, including victim statements, which led them to obtain DNA evidence from Shipe in June 2023.
The crucial DNA match was made using the Greater Baltimore Medical Center Slide Project. This collection contains forensic evidence from sexual assault survivors dating back to the 1970s, preserved on microscope slides by Dr. Rudiger Breitenecker.
