Roy Charles Waller
Roy Charles Waller (born January 8, 1960) is an American man who was arrested in September 2018 as a suspect in a series of more than ten rapes and kidnappings committed between 1991–2006 in six Northern California counties (the Norcal Rapist). DNA evidence from crime scenes were matched on the online DNA-matching service, GEDmatch, to a relative of Waller, and he was identified through genetics-based genealogy.[2]
Roy Charles Waller | |
---|---|
Born | Roy Charles Waller January 8, 1960 |
Occupation | UC Berkeley employee |
Criminal charge | 12 counts of forcible sexual assault, |
Details | |
Victims | 9[1] |
Span of crimes | 23 June 1991–14 October 2006 (unless more crimes are attributed to the perpetrator) |
Country | United States |
State(s) | California |
Date apprehended | 20 September 2018 |
Police constructed a family tree and, using the known elements of the rapist, narrowed the suspects down to Waller. After the GEDmatch confirmation, they took about a week to identify and arrest the suspect.[3] He was charged with a total of 40 counts of rape, which took place in five different counties, including Sonoma, Solano, Contra Costa, Yolo and Butte.[4] He is being held without bail and faces life in prison if convicted.[5] He has 45 counts on his charge list.[6] At the time of his arrest he was living in Benicia, was married and was employed as a safety specialist at the University of California Berkeley. He has worked there for 26 years.[7][8]
The same genetic genealogy technique had been used in the identification and arrest of the suspect known as the Golden State Killer.[2]
Norcal Rapist crime details
According to a detective who first worked on the case, in the attacks for which Waller is charged, the rapist had a pattern of behavior. He would enter victim's houses, usually late at night. Sometimes the victim would be asleep. Sometimes they would be going about evening activities. He would overcome and bind the women, then repeatedly sexually assault them. He would ransack the home. Sometimes he would abduct the victim, taking her to an ATM, and forcing the victim to give him the password, and he would steal money from the account. At "other times, he would steal personal items from their homes," Detective Avis Beery said.[7]
Legal Proceedings
Waller was originally being charged with 12 counts of forcible sexual assault. However at an August 2019 Court appearance he was being charged with an additional 28 counts.[9] He is now being charged with a total of 46 felony counts.[10] If convicted Waller faces up to life in prison.[11] His trial date was set for May 27, 2020 but has yet to happen.
References
- https://www.kcra.com/amp/article/suspect-in-norcal-rapist-case-faces-46-charges/30384854
- "NorCal Rapist suspect arrested. He's a 58-year-old safety specialist at UC Berkeley". The Sacramento Bee. ISSN 0890-5738. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
- Collman, Ashley. "Suspected serial 'NorCal rapist' arrested in California thanks to a DNA match on a genealogy website — just like the Golden State Killer". Business Insider. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
- "NorCal Rapist suspect faces 28 new charges in Sacramento court". The Sacramento Bee. ISSN 0890-5738. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
- "NorCal Rapist charged with 28 new counts of sexual assault". Benicia Herald Online. 2019-01-16. Retrieved 2019-01-30.
- "Two new victims, four new counts alleged in NorCal Rapist case – charges now total 45". The Sacramento Bee. ISSN 0890-5738. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- Staff, KCRA (2018-09-22). "Arrest made in infamous 27-year-old 'NorCal Rapist' case". KCRA. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- Gonzalez, Vicki (2019-04-25). "How DNA ingenuity led to wave of cold case arrests". KCRA. Retrieved 2019-06-25.
- https://www.sacramento.cbslocal.com/video/4146693-norcal-rapist-suspect-back-in-court-on-friday/
- https://www.ksro.com/2020/01/30/norcal-rapist-ordered-to-stand-trial/
- https://www.dailycal.org/2020/02/03/norcal-rapist-suspect-roy-charles-waller-to-be-tried-on-46-felony-charges/