After more than two decades of uncertainty, a Cambridge woman finally received justice when her childhood assailant pleaded guilty to a brutal home invasion and rape that haunted her since she was thirteen. Roger W. Reddick Jr., 41, admitted to his heinous crimes before a Middlesex court, ending a long chapter of unanswered pleas for closure and vindication.
The assailant was originally able to escape, the young victim and her family are left to deal with the fear that remains. Authorities worked relentlessly to piece together the puzzle, and it was through advances in DNA technology that they managed to close in on Reddick. Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow hailed the conviction as a testament to their unwavering pursuit of justice, no matter how long it takes, as reported by the Middlesex DA.
On that fateful morning in October 2000, Reddick broke into the girl's Cambridge home, confrontated the victim in her second-floor bedroom, and proceeded to sexually assault her. Cambridge Police were quick to the scene, and forensic experts gathered crucial evidence, including a latent fingerprint and some green patterned boxer shorts left by the suspect, though the technology at the time fell short in identifying the assailant.
In a renewed bid to resolve this cold case, the DA's Cold Case Unit, employing new DNA analytical methods, conclusively matched Reddick to the DNA found on the boxer shorts as well as swabs taken from the scene. Reddick was subsequently arrested and has been in custody since March 30, 2023. With a guilty plea now entered, Reddick is slated to serve a 10-12 year prison sentence with an additional 3 years probation, ensuring he pays for the trauma he inflicted over 23 years ago.
"For twenty-three years, the victim in this case has lived with the mystery of who came into her bedroom and violently sexually assaulted her. Today, that woman, now thirty-seven years old and living outside of Massachusetts, had the opportunity to hear the defendant admit to what he had done to her," District Attorney Ryan stated. The successful outcome was the result of the combined efforts of the detectives, crime scene personnel from the Cambridge Police Department, and forensic scientists from the State Police Crime Laboratory, per Middlesex DA’s office.
