Renton Police Link 2023 Rape of 12-Year-Old to 2009 Seattle Home Invasion Using DNA

RENTON, Wash. — Renton Police detectives have made a significant breakthrough in a cold case investigation, using DNA evidence to connect a suspect in a 2023 sexual assault of a 12-year-old child to a home invasion and assault that took place in Seattle in 2009. The forensic link has provided crucial new leads in both cases.

The investigation intensified following the 2023 rape of a 12-year-old victim in Renton. DNA samples collected during that investigation were entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), which returned a match to an unsolved 2009 incident in Seattle. In that older case, an intruder broke into a Seattle residence, committed a home invasion, and assaulted the occupant before fleeing the scene.

Law enforcement officials praised the coordination between the Renton and Seattle police departments, as well as the forensic scientists who analyzed the DNA profiles. The identification of a common suspect across these two distinct crimes, separated by more than a decade, highlights the power of modern genetic databases in solving cold cases and bringing justice to victims of violent crime. Investigators are currently working to locate and apprehend the suspect.