HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – In a remarkable breakthrough, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has solved a 24-year-old sexual assault case using advanced DNA technology and forensic genealogy.
The case dates back to March 2000, when a female victim reported being sexually assaulted after accepting a ride from an unknown man. Despite collecting DNA evidence at the time, the case went cold after all leads were exhausted.
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In 2022, the Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Section reopened the investigation, utilizing a grant focused on prosecuting cold cases using DNA. Working with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Parabon Nanolabs, detectives were able to develop a family tree linked to the unknown suspect through genetic genealogy testing.
This led them to identify 59-year-old Walter Leon Rutherford Jr. as a possible suspect. Rutherford had lived in Missouri since 2007 but had ties to Tampa in 2000. A DNA sample was obtained from Rutherford in Missouri and confirmed to be a match to the evidence from the crime scene.
Rutherford was arrested on October 28th, 2024, and charged with two counts of sexual battery.
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“This case is a powerful reminder that time does not diminish our commitment to justice,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Our Special Victims Section, with the help of modern technology, has brought closure to a victim who has waited for more than 20 years for answers. We hope this brings comfort and peace to the victim as she continues to heal.”
FDLE Assistant Commissioner Lee Massie said, “The FDLE Genetic Genealogy Program provides critical funding and resources that can lead to overdue closure in decades-old cases just like this one. We are grateful that the work and partnership between our agencies has finally granted the victim some peace of mind that their perpetrator will see justice.”
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