A 10-year-old cold case turns into a first degree rape conviction.
Oliver Miller was also found guilty Thursday of attempted first degree rape, two counts of sexual offense in the first degree, three counts sexual offense in the third degree, and one count of false imprisonment.
He now faces 180 years behind bars.
On January 19, 2008 at 2 p.m. the female victim began to walk home from the University of Baltimore Athletic Center.
Upon entering her block in the 1300 block of Eutaw Place, she noticed an unknown male cross the street towards her. Thinking nothing of it, the victim proceeded to walk towards her home.
A short time later, the victim arrived home and began to enter her residence. The male subject, now brandishing a knife approached the victim from behind, instructing the her to not scream and open the house door. Once inside the apartment, the suspect undressed himself and directed the victim to do the same. The man then proceeded to sexually assault the woman. Following the assault, the man still with a weapon in his possession ordered the female into the shower where he demanded she bathe them both. After leaving the bathroom area, the male once again sexually assaulted the victim.
Noticing a whiskey bottle in the woman's apartment, the suspect proceeded to drink from the bottle, later forcing the victim to drink from it as well. The subject reportedly told the lady that nobody would believe her story if it was known she drank whiskey.
The suspect would go on to ask the victim for money. In fear of being assaulted further, the victim complied, by relinquishing her debit card and pin number. An investigation found the card was later used to purchase $407.88 worth of goods.
While getting ready to leave, the suspect wished to lock the door. This however could only be done from the outside, at which time the victim was forced to hand her keys over to the man. Before fleeing, the man utilized iPod and cell phone cords to tie the victim to a chair. As he departed, the man threatened the victim with death if she were to report the incident.
Managing to free herself, the victim exited through a rear window and headed to a neighbors home where police were called.
The victim was transported to Mercy Hospital where a SAFE exam was conducted. Crime scene technicians also collected DNA swabs at the woman's apartment, including that of the cords used to bound the victim as well as the whiskey bottle the suspect and victim both drank from along with a pillow case that had a stain.
An exhaustive search for the suspect eventually went cold. On April 3, 2017 the case was reactivated with Oliver Miller developing as a suspect. His DNA was positive on the aforementioned swabs taken from the crime scene.
Miller and the victim never met prior to this incident. His sentencing is scheduled for July 20.
