NILES, Mich. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A man from Niles, Michigan has been charged with two rapes that occured in Florida 21 years ago, after he was allegedly linked to the crimes through a home DNA kit submitted by a distant relative.
Robert Thomas, now 61, is alleged to have raped two women - one woman on a beach and another in her home - both in 1998 in Pinellas and Sarasota counties in Florida.
"I'm sure after all this amount of time, he thought it was something that he was able to get away with,” said Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, (R) Pinellas County, FL.
But for the victims, he said, "it’s something that you never get over, and it's something that you live with. As a victim of a crime, you certainly want to see justice and see someone punished for what they did."
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said over the years they investigated and cleared nearly 100 suspects.
“There was a lot of time over the years, where we thought we were close with this, but it wasn't until, of course this, and getting it narrowed down to one line with five people,” Gualtieri said.
"This" is referred to familial DNA testing. When you sign up for Ancestry.com or 23andMe, you have the option to share your DNA with a larger database, which shares its data with law enforcement.
Gualtieri's officers used DNA collected from both victims to find a relative of the suspect, and then tied Thomas to the crime using an Ancestry database finding a distant relative.
"It was estimated that the person who loaded the DNA and the rapist were somewhere around fourth cousins,” Gualtieri said.
And he said the person worked with police creating a family tree that ultimately lead to Thomas. His DNA matched the DNA collected from the victims.
“This case demonstrates how evolving science, technology, collaboration among law enforcement agencies and good, old-fashioned boots-on-the-ground police work come together,” Gualtieri said.
Thomas is in the Berrien County Jail awaiting extradition. He faces two counts of sexual battery.
Gualtieri said he may have committed two additional rapes in the same area, but there's no DNA to tie Thomas to those crimes.