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DNA leads to charges in 30 year old rape case

Posted at 3:52 PM, Jan 28, 2016
and last updated 2016-01-28 17:05:47-05

LEBANON, Ind. -- DNA evidence led to charges Tuesday against a Franklin man in connection with a June 1990 rape case.

A woman reported to police that she was attacked and sexually assaulted in her Lebanon home.

"(He) broke into her house one night (and) was lying in wait for her after she (had) gone to bed," Boone County Prosecutor Todd Meyer said. "He then attacked her at knifepoint, and threatened to kill her."

She was taken to the hospital and a rape kit was gathered.

Due to limited technology, authorities couldn't get a lot of information from the kit. It was preserved and held as evidence for future testing.

In 2008, Indiana State Police requested permission to re-test the rape kit.

A DNA profile of the suspect was developed and entered into the FBI's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).

CODIS is a national database that contains the DNA of convicted offenders from across the US.

There was no match at the time, but Lebanon Police were notified of a match in October 2015.

Police talked to the victim and were able to establish a connection between her and the suspect, Todd Richardson.

The 49-year-old Richardson was charged with attempted rape, criminal deviate conduct, burglary, confinement and intimidation.

If convicted on all charges, Richardson faces a maximum penalty of 148 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.

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