12 Year Old Everett Rape case solved by Sheriff’s Cold Case Squad.

A 30-year-old Everett man was arrested and booked into the Snohomish County Jail today on suspicion of a rape committed more than 12 years ago when he was just 17.

The rape happened the afternoon of June 24, 1998 at Discovery Elementary School in south Everett. A young teacher was preparing for summer school in her portable classroom building when a young man surprised her, raped her, threatened her with a gun and then ran off.

Snohomish County Sheriff’s detectives investigated the assault at the time but were not able to identify the suspect. However, they did collect DNA evidence. The sample was tested back then using the latest DNA forensic science but did not yield any hits.

In June of last year Det. Jim Scharf, with the Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit, contacted a forensic scientist at the Washington State Patrol about the case and asked if there was still enough DNA available to retest using more advanced DNA testing processes. The State Patrol confirmed there was plenty of DNA remaining and conducted additional testing.

In January of this year, Det. Scharf learned there was a match on the recently tested DNA. The suspect had lived less than a mile from the school at the time of the rape. He has been in trouble with the law since then – requiring him to submit DNA samples.

“I credit the tenacity and dedication of Det. Scharf and his Cold Case colleagues for bringing about justice in this case – both for the victim and all the citizens of Snohomish County,” Sheriff John Lovick said.

The suspect has a criminal history that includes a conviction in 2000 for a string of residential burglaries in Snohomish County, as well as a federal conviction for pharmacy burglaries along the West Coast. He was on parole for the federal conviction at the time of his arrest today.