The Riley County Police Department and Lawrence Police Department are asking for public assistance to find a man suspected of 14 rapes over an 8-year span.
“In March of 2009, then Kanasas Attorney General Steve Six announced that mulitple incidents of rape committed over the course of eight years in both Manhattan and Lawrence appeared connected,” RCPD Director Brad Schoen said in a formal address to media members inside the Riley County Law Enforcement Center Thursday morning. “These incidents began in October of 2000 and ended in December of 2008, involved the victimization of women in Manhattan and Lawrence, and all of them were students at either Kansas State University or the University of Kansas.”
But Schoen said both departments believe developments in a 2015 rape case in Manhattan may be connected.
“We are here today because in the early morning hours on this date in 2015, an unknown assailant entered a residence in the 1400 block of Watson Place in Manhattan with the intent to commit a sexual assault against the female resident — a student attending Kansas State University,” he said. “A lengthy investigation into the incident has led us to conclude that there is a high probability that the assailant is the same assailant from the previous cases.”
Schoen said each incident involved a masked intruder entering the victim’s off-campus residence, mostly between the hours of 2 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. as the victim slept. He added all but one coincided with a break in the academic calendar. The residences varied from apartment complexes to duplexes to single dwellings. Schoen said the point of entry was frequently identified, but how the suspect made entry was often unknown and there were no signs of forced entry.
Schoen told reporters there were indications that the survivors were surveilled by the assailant prior to the incident and that in all but two cases, the victim was alone.
“In most cases a handgun was displayed, with which the assailant threatened the survivors as a means to gain compliance,” Schoen said. “While the physical violence of the assaults was usually limited to the rape itself, these were all violent acts caried out by an assailant who did so in a cold, calm and calculated manner.”
In the 2015 case, the suspect was described as a white male, approximately 5’10” and heavier set, most noticeably around the stomach and thighs. The description is consistent with others.
“The prominent stomach was a frequently mentioned characteristic from previous cases,” Schoen said.
Interim Chief Anthony Brixius of the Lawrence Police Department said work with the RCPD began early.
“After the first incident was reported in Lawrence in 2004, (we) began working side by side with the Riley County Police Department to investigate these terrible crimes in our communities,” he said. “Our investigators have spent hundreds of hours in both cities doing interviews, gathering evidence and working tips on these cases.
“It is also likely that a member of our community or someone outside of these two communities has witnessed something or has a piece of information that could help us bring this suspect to justice.”
Schoen said both departments are seeking any information over the past 17 years that may aid investigations.
“We cannot say enough about the courageous women who have already stepped forward to provide vital information about their assailant,” Schoen said. “If anyone feels they had an encounter with an individual matching this description, please know that we want to hear from you, and we want to provide help for you. Your information, even if it is several years old, may help bring justice to all the survivors.”
In addition, Schoen said the department is also wanting to hear from anyone living or who has lived in the areas of the 14 rapes, and hopes any recollections that could be useful will be brought to the attention of authorities.
“We are currently working on a number of leads, but are not in a position to discuss those leads because to do so might jeopardize the investigation and any potential future prosecution,” Schoen said.
Schoen also announced a website dedicated to finding the suspect: www.kansascollegerapist.com. He also recommended any tips be phoned in to Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers at 785-539-7777. In addition to the $1,000 reward there, Schoen said an anonymous local donor has provided $10,000 to the RCPD on top of that.
The RCPD has been in contact with Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt and Kansas Bureau of Investigation Director Kirk Thompson about the cases. Both departments are also in contact with their respective colleges and university police departments, along with the FBI and U.S. Marshal’s Service.
“We want to stress that the survivors in these 14 cases are our primary concern,” Schoen said. “Prior to this press conference, we made contact with each one, either in person or by phone and shared with them the information that we provided today, along with our commitment to investigate these cases to the fullest extent possible, employing any and every means of police and forensic science.
“Our work will not be done until we can stand here and declare with certainty that this assailant will never again pose a threat to our communities.”
Thursday’s full press conference, including questions at the end, can be viewed below:
