Roderick Hunter saw the Michigan woman in a grocery store and became obsessed.
Police say he followed her home, stalked her, and decided on Sept. 25, 1991 to attack her. He broke into the 47-year-old woman's home at about 11 p.m., overpowered her and sexually assaulted her, Detroit Free Press reported.
The 23-year-old case has now been cracked through the recent testing of DNA from the woman's robe. A match was found with Hunter, now 51, who is serving a minimum of 25 years in prison for nine other sexual assaults not related to the 1991 crime.
But the state's statute of limitations is up, and charging Hunter with the 1991 crime is impossible.
Despite the law, authorities are asking for help in finding out if Hunter assaulted anyone else more recently, making it possible for him to be charged with additional crimes.
Any crimes that occurred after May 2, 1992 may be considered for prosecution after the state changed its statute of limitation laws after 2001, but crimes that happened before that date in 1992 can't go to trial.
Prosecutor Steve Fox said any victims who may have been intimidated into not coming forward can now since Hunter won't be eligible for parole until 2025, WXYZ reported.
Even if DNA had been submitted years earlier, a match wouldn't have been made until 2005, when Hunter was sent to prison. Authorities noted that since Hunter committed a crime 22 years ago and another unrelated crime 10 years ago, it's likely he committed other crimes or sexual assaults.
Hunter hasn't denied the assault, but didn't disclose why he would stalk the women, and never fessed up to other crimes.
"The suspect in the 1991 case was described as in his mid-20s, 5 feet, 9 inches to 5 feet, 10 inches tall, with a thin build, blonde hair and mustache and nylon stocking over his head," Township Police Capt. Richard Maierle said of the 1991 assault.
