A man has been arrested and charged with a brutal sexual assault that occurred in San Jose 15 years ago. The assault, perpetrated on an elderly woman in a senior living apartment, had remained unsolved until recent DNA analysis linked 43-year-old James Aaron Whisenand to the crime, as reported by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
Whisenand, hailing from a small town in Indiana, was apprehended by local and federal law enforcement cooperating across states. Having been lured to the local police department on Monday under the guise of fulfilling requirements for his sex offender registration, Whisenand was taken into custody, ready to face the charges against him in California. While the extradition proceedings are underway in Indiana, the Clay County Prosecutor's Office handling the matter stated that the suspect is being held without bail.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen reflected on the recent events, saying, "As our forensic technology grows, the reach of justice becomes longer". Rosen added, "We don’t forget or forgive those who hurt people in our community", signifying a longstanding commitment to victims and their families despite the passage of time, as per the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
Details of the heinous act on January 6, 2008, describe how Whisenand, wearing a ski mask, broke into the 61-year-old woman’s apartment. Before sexually assaulting the victim numerous times, a broken nose was sustained by her as a result of being punched in the face and choked by the assailant. No suspects were identified at the time, but as of March 2024, the DA's Office Crime Lab notified that the suspect's DNA from the crime scene, uploaded to the national CODIS database in 2008, matched Whisenand, who had recently been convicted of a misdemeanor sexual battery. Court records reveal that at the time of the 2008 attack, Whisenand lived mere blocks from where the assault took place.
The authorities are urging anyone with additional information about Whisenand to come forward. People with information are asked to contact the tip line at (408) 792-2466 or via email at [email protected].
