This is one of many examples of excellent police work but what makes it unique is the tools used in identifying a sexual predator whose been at large for more than two decades.
According to Fox News, California man was charged with the sexual assault of two women over 22 years ago, after police linked DNA from the crime scenes to that of a sample recently collected from a Baskin-Robbins ice cream spoon.
Alameda County District Attorney Nancy E. O’Malley announced Monday that Gregory Paul Vien, 60, will face “multiple felony sexual assault charges” in connection with the two separate assaults, both from 1997.
According to prosecutors, a woman walking to a Bay Area Rapid Transit station after work on May 6 was attacked by an unidentified man who “dragged her to a secluded area” before he sexually assaulted her.
Several months later, on Sept. 7, a second woman was sexually assaulted while on a walk near Livermore High School.
The District Attorney released the following publication:
In 2019, detectives from the Livermore Police department developed additional leads through a genetic genealogical search in their quest to solve these 22-year old sexual assault crimes. Those leads enabled additional investigation with a focus on Mr. Vien and the eventual collection of Mr. Vien’s DNA sample, ultimately identifying him as the assailant in both crimes.
“For over 20 years, the survivors of these sexual assaults have lived with the constant uncertainty that comes with not knowing when, if ever, their assailant will be identified and brought to justice,” states DA O’Malley. “The police agencies never gave up, nor let these investigations go cold. Their dedication, tenacity and excellent investigative work, has now paid off in the arrest of Mr. Vien. My office’s specialized cold case unit and sexual assault unit worked alongside our law enforcement partners and will now ensure that Mr. Vien is held to account for the crimes he committed.”
Thanks to the tireless efforts of police Vien's victims will get some long-awaited closure and justice. All thanks to a few tips and an ice cream spoon. Tell me that doesn't sound like it's straight out of a crime novel.