A recent DNA match confirmed a suspect's involvement in a State Street beating that occurred in May 2008.
According to court records, Robert E. Walker, 32, was charged Wednesday with first-degree sexual assault, as well as first-degree reckless endangerment.
The 54-year-old female victim was found unconscious and naked in the stairwell of a State Street building, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. When questioned, Walker denied any connection to the woman. Later, however, the police discovered his alibi was false, the WSJ said.
According to Detective Samantha Kellogg of the Madison Police Department, a witness recently identified Walker, and police were able to match his DNA with the DNA found at the crime scene.
""Getting a match was lucky because the database for DNA is smaller than the fingerprint database,"" Kellogg said.
Although fingerprints are still vital to solving crimes, Kellogg said DNA will be the key to solving most cases in the future.
Walker's past criminal record includes charges of battery and theft. Because of the severity of the charges and his previous record, Kellogg would like to see an ""expensive"" sentence for him.
First-degree sexual assault is a felony that can include sexual intercourse or sexual contact without consent-—in this case, causing great bodily harm.
Cases of sexual assault and battery are not uncommon in the Madison area. Police often see a progression in criminal habits, beginning with robberies and eventually leading to sexual assaults, according to Kellogg. Reliable witnesses and high-quality video also help the police to ""stop the crime wave,"" Kellogg said.
The Dane Country Rape Crisis Center urges victims to undergo a medical exam after a sexual assault. The examination should include inspection for ""injuries, foreign hair samples, semen and other body fluids,"" all of which can be used as evidence against suspects.
