Another Assault Linked to Potomac River Rapist

On the night of July 20, 1996, a woman was sexually assaulted as she was walking in the Palisades neighborhood of Northwest Washington, D.C. A composite sketch of the suspect was produced and leads were followed, but the case eventually grew cold.

Now, nearly 16 years later, forensic evidence from that incident has been linked to a single suspect believed to be responsible for nine other sexual assaults in the area between 1991 and 1998. One of those attacks resulted in the murder of the victim.

Known as the Potomac River Rapist, this violent and brutal assailant is still on the loose. In partnership with the Montgomery County Police Department in Maryland and the Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., we launched a web campaign in December 2011 to help bring renewed attention to the case. And in light of this most recently linked piece of the puzzle, we have updated our map to reflect the location of the 1996 assault and have added the related composite sketch to our photo gallery as well.

A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the Potomac River Rapist case. Although it’s been several years since his last attack, our efforts to find him have not diminished. Please review all of this information and see if you can help.