DNA helps crack James City County cold case after more than 30 years
JAMES CITY COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) — James City County Police spent more than 30 years trying to track down a suspect in a 1987 cold case.
Finally, the department got a break in the case.
Police said a positive DNA match led police to their man.
In December 1987, police said an unknown person abducted and committed sexual offenses on an individual around the Midlands Apartment Complex. At the time, the complex was under construction.
JCC Police worked to find a suspect but exhausted all investigative leads.
It wasn’t until 2019 that a new detective was assigned to the case. He submitted all documents to the Virginia Department of Forensic Services, or DFS.
Police said they had hope for a breakthrough, but the DNA mixture profile didn’t come back to anyone.
JCC Police didn’t give up and kept searching in the DNA databanks.
Nearly four years after the detective took over, police got a call from DFS. Police said the agency had a DNA profile match to the 1987 cold case.
The DNA matched Richard Lee Gibson.
At the time, he was incarcerated at the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail for a 2022 sexual offense in Williamsburg.
Previously: New Kent man accused of assaulting woman in Williamsburg indicted
WAVY previously reported that Gibson fled from Williamsburg Police after being charged with unlawfully creating an image of another and possession of obscene items. Police said he placed a cell phone between an unsuspecting woman’s legs.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office in Florida ultimately found Gibson out sailing in the Caloosahatchee River, after receiving a tip from a citizen who recognized Gibson from this image on a WAVY.com article.
WAVY article assists in local man’s arrest in Florida
Gibson was brought back to Virginia. JCC Police said his DNA was put in the database and that triggered a positive match to the cold case.
Police said investigators executed a search warrant for Gibson’s DNA. It was tested and confirmed to be a match.
“The department commends the work of our current detectives and former investigators and is grateful for the efforts of DFS that assist law enforcement in solving crimes,” JCC police said in a statement.
On March 20, a grand jury indicted Gibson of rape, abduction with intent to defile, two counts of inanimate object penetration, two counts of sodomy and aggravated sexual battery for his involvement in the Dec. 10, 1987 offense.
Gibson is due in court Monday.
Police urge anyone who may have been victimized by Gibson to come forward. Police said other cold cases involving him may exist. Police released images to help potential victims identify him as his appearance has changed over time.
In a statement, police said that “the department hopes this arrest can bring solace and closure to the victim, their family, and loved ones.”
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