How cops used DNA left in a park 30 years ago to track down the Woodland Rapist

Release time：2024-05-21 16:22:04 Source：Stellar Site news portal

The case of the 'Woodland Rapist' - a serial molester who attacked at least three children in the 1990s - may have been solved using DNA left in a park 30 years ago and DNA submitted to an ancestry website. 

Richard Neil, 64, was arrested in Toronto on March 3, in connection to multiple assaults beginning in the early 1990s in one of the biggest breakthroughs in the decades-long manhunt.

The suspected rapist allegedly lured at least three victims to a wooded area, tied them to a tree and assaulted them.

Police reportedly 'took several soil samples to test for DNA and found a profile' of the suspect after he allegedly assaulted a then 10-year-old boy in Brampton's Norton Place Park on September 29, 1994. 

Richard Neil, 64, was arrested in Toronto on March 3, in connection to multiple assaults dating back to the early 1990s

At least three victims reported being lured to a wooded area, tied to a tree and assaulted by who the media dubbed, 'the woodland rapist'

The victim, who is now aged 34, was assaulted in Norton Place Park when a stranger forced him to perform sex acts on him

It was not until a 15-year-old girl reported a similar assault in Oakville in August 1995 that authorities conclusively linked all three attacks to the same perpetrator through DNA testing but were still unable to make a breakthrough.

Police have not confirmed what finally lead them to Neil but one victim, who was 10-years-old at the time of his assault, said it was after a family member of Neil submitted DNA to an ancestry website.

The victim, who is now aged 34 and has his identity protected by a court-ordered publication ban, told CBC News about the moment cops called him to confirm the arrest: 'I was shaking when I received the call.' 

He was assaulted in Norton Place Park when a stranger forced him to perform sex acts on him.

The victim recounted his experience and the long road to justice, telling CBC News that the police did a 'poor' job investigating the incident initially.

He said police questioned his claims initially and insinuated he had made up the whole incident to gain attention.

'They accused me of making up what happened to me to get attention, not taking me seriously at all,' he said in an email to CBC.  

The victim persisted, eventually leading authorities to the location where DNA evidence from sperm was crucially recovered.

A composite sketch of the suspect was distributed  by police 

Neil faces a total of 20 charges, including kidnapping, sexual assault with a weapon, and making child pornography, though he denies all allegations.

The assaults, which took place in Brampton, Kitchener, and Oakville, involved victims being lured to wooded areas, tied up, and assaulted.

The case, known as 'Project Woodland,' involved a collaborative effort by Peel, Halton, and Waterloo police.

Neil's defense team claimed he 'has no knowledge of these crimes and maintains his innocence.'

Neil was released on bail in earlier April on the basis that he agrees to live with family on Vancouver Island or in Toronto with an electronic ankle monitor.  

Neil's lawyer, Leo Adler, said he was 'under very strict bail conditions and the public can be assured that it's properly done,' according to CBC. 

The victim told the outlet that he  'couldn't believe' it when he heard his alleged attacker was being released on bail. 'I was literally sick to my stomach.'

When he initially was made aware of the arrest, he said, 'I felt overwhelmed with joy, then sadness. As I started to recall the memories of that day.'  

• 'Woodland rapist' victim says genealogy website led police to alleged attacker | CBC News

Related articles