Akron man sentenced to life in 2010 cold case rape
AKRON, Ohio (WJW) — A rape kit testing initiative that solved a 2010 cold case rape in Akron has now resulted in a life sentence for the perpetrator.
Derrick Fischer, 53, of Akron, was convicted of two counts of rape in April. He was sentenced to life in prison, the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office announced on Friday.
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A judge had also found Fischer guilty of a sexually violent predator specification, which strengthened his sentence on each charge to 10 years to life in prison.
“Derrick Fischer is a dangerous man with a violent history. My office will fight to keep him in prison for the rest of his life,” Prosecutor Elliot Kolkovich is quoted in the release. “Thank you to local law enforcement, the assistant prosecutors, and the survivor for their unwavering determination and relentless pursuit of justice in this case.”
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The assault occurred in 2010 but the initial investigation did not produce a suspect. Evidence in the case was later tested in 2017 and a DNA profile matched Fischer to the crime, according to the release.
The Akron Police Department the following year received a three-year, $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to create a new investigative unit to review unsolved rape cases that are less than 20 years old, in which DNA evidence was collected but had not been matched to a suspect.
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