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DNA Breakthrough: Rapist Jailed 40 Years Later
20 Mar
Summary
- Modern DNA analysis finally identified the attacker after over 40 years.
- The victim died 12 years after the 1985 attack, never seeing justice.
- DNA was matched in 2021 after the convicted man was detained for another offense.
In a case of justice delayed, David Hill, 75, of Rotherham, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for a rape that occurred in 1985. The breakthrough in this cold case came through modern DNA analysis applied to samples taken from the victim's clothing.
The 27-year-old victim was attacked with a knife to her neck in a Sheffield car park. Although DNA was recovered at the time, the technology was basic. The victim passed away 12 years after the assault without seeing her attacker brought to justice.
An archived DNA sample was retested using cutting-edge technology in 2018, generating a DNA profile. However, Hill was not on the national database as he had not been previously arrested. In 2021, his DNA was collected after he was detained for a public order offense, leading to a match with the 1985 crime.
Hill denied rape but was found guilty by a jury. The victim's brother shared the profound impact of the attack, stating his sister was never the same. Judge Peter Hampton praised the meticulous police work and noted Hill had shown no remorse for the "nightmarish attack."
