After years of investigation, the Ogden City Police Department's persistent efforts have culminated in the arrest of Jerald Leroy McAdams in connection with a series of sexual assaults from the 1990s. As KUTV reported, the breakthrough was made possible by recent advancements in DNA technology, with McAdams' genetic profile linking him conclusively to the crimes. Arrested in Washington State this April, he is facing serious charges related to two distinct incidents, one from December 13, 1994, and the other from September 1997. In the latter incident, despite initially being dismissed due to a procedural issue, the victim's identification of McAdams played a crucial role in reinvigorating the case.
The first reported assault involved a 16-year-old girl who was offered a ride by a man subsequently identified as McAdams, driving a Pontiac Trans Am. She was taken to a remote location and assaulted. The second assault bore chilling similarities, with the suspect offering another young woman money to direct him to an address before assaulting her in a white Corvette, ABC4 outlined. These cases remained unsolved, with the weight of uncertainty and the specter of justice deferred haunting the community until DNA evidence revived the endeavor to attain closure.
In September 2023, a match in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) database flagged McAdams as a suspect, connecting the dots that spanned over three decades. Following this lead, further investigation revealed that McAdams had a history of similar offenses, including a conviction for a 1999 kidnapping and sexual assault in Centralia, Washington; his DNA submission during incarceration facilitated the recent identification. According to FOX13, this connection emphasized the value of persistent and collaborative law enforcement work across state lines, with detectives from Ogden and deputies from Lewis County, Washington, working in unison to apprehend the suspect.
Ogden police have reopened the case, and the officials are urging anyone with information regarding past incidents involving McAdams or his activities between 1991 and 1998 to come forward. "We urge anyone with information about McAdams or other potential victims to come forward," Ogden police said, as obtained by ABC4. Tips can be provided by contacting the Ogden Police Department's Investigations Bureau.
