“We never gave up on it, we didn’t stop looking and when that small piece of evidence came forward the members stepped up.”
And with that, New Westminster Chief Const. Dave Jones closed a 21-year-old cold case.
At a press conference on Monday, the police chief commended his officers for securing charges against a 48-year-old Vancouver man for the vicious sexual assault of a New West senior in 1996.
Dorothy Darnel, 80 years old at the time, was asleep in her bed in the early morning hours of Oct. 4, when a man broke into her apartment at 310 Eighth St. attacked her. The injuries he inflicted to her head and face were so severe they rendered her unconscious. It was then the suspect sexually assaulted her, according to police.
Jones is one of 12 members who were with the department at the time of the attack and who still work there today. He participated in the investigation and conducted the interview with Darnel following the incident while she was still in the hospital.
“This is a step towards closure of a very tragic incident, it’s not necessarily a happy day, it’s more about closure,” he said.
Darnel never returned to her Eighth Street apartment, according to Jones, but she went on to speak at several public safety forums about her experience.
“She was a strong woman, in that after interviewing her and spending time with her, she actually came back and made presentations to seniors’ centres and seniors’ groups on safety and what they could do to keep themselves safe.”
Darnel passed away in December 2015. She was 99 years old.
The initial investigation that took place in 1996 was led by eight full-time officers. Despite releasing a sketch of the suspect, who had been spotted fleeing Darnel’s apartment building by responding officers, he was never identified. There was also a $12,000 reward for information leading to an arrest posted by the New Westminster Police Board and an anonymous donor.
It took a matching DNA sample to help move the investigation along.
In March 2016, a DNA sample was collected from the scene of a break-and-enter in Coquitlam. That sample matched the sample taken from the scene of Darnel’s attack and a man named James Gray.
Jones applauded the New West officers for their efforts putting together the case, which ended in Gray’s arrest and charges being laid, and thanked Coquitlam RCMP for their work gathering the DNA that would help identify Gray.
“For that we’re truly appreciative,” he said.
Gray is facing charges of aggravated sexual assault; breaking and entering; robbery; unlawful confinement; attempting to choke to overcome resistance; and uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm.
Gray was scheduled to appear in court this afternoon (May 1).
