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DNA Evidence Cracks 20-Year-Old Mat-Su Valley Rape Cold CaseTroopers say suspect killed himself shortly after his DNA sample was collectedRelated Content
It’s been 20 years since an 8-year-old girl was kidnapped from a bus stop near Wasilla and sexually assaulted.
Troopers say they now know who was responsible because of DNA evidence. There are nearly 30,000 DNA samples at the Alaska Scientific Crime Detection Laboratory from people who have been convicted of or arrested for various crimes against other people, i.e. sexual assault, robbery, assault. One of those samples contains the answer to the 20-year-old cold case. “It's a very powerful tool,” said Orin Dym, forensic laboratory manager of DNA technology. On Feb. 7, 1991, an 8-year-old girl was waiting for a bus at Mile 3.5 Fairview Loop Road near Wasilla when a man forced her into a pickup truck and drove her to a house, where she told Troopers he sexually assaulted her for about two-and-a-half hours before dropping her off on Vine Road “It's scary,” said Samantha Campbell, whose own sister, Bonnie Craig, was also kidnapped from a bus stop and raped in September of 1994 in what’s one of Alaska’s most infamous murder cold cases. DNA evidence led Troopers to Kenneth Dion, who was convicted in June of raping and killing the young college student. “It's so scary,” Campbell said of the 1991 case. “It's so similar to Bonnie's case. Bonnie was walking to school to catch a bus. It hits close to home. It's incredible how close it is. But I’m glad that this victim was able to make it out alive. Unfortunately, it's a horrendous thing to have to go through for anybody.” Investigators spent thousands of hours investigating hundreds of leads before the trail to the Wasilla rapist went cold—until last September, when the state crime lab reported a match to a DNA sample collected in 2006. Troopers said the sample belonged to Brooks E. Jackson, a 46-year-old Wasilla man who had been convicted in 2005 of a drug charge. But six days after Jackson provided that sample, family members found him dead of an apparent suicide in his Wasilla home, Troopers said. It would be another four years, however, before the link was made between Jackson and the 8-year-old girl Troopers now say he sexually assaulted. “This is a prime reason why backlogs are unacceptable at a crime laboratory,” Dym said. “This is the real effect of what happens when you have a backlog. It's just sitting there four years waiting to get an answer that was there.” Why did it take so long? “I got here in 2007,” said Dym. “That sample was one of 18,000 samples that got cleared when we started working that. At the time that sample came in, it came in on the tail end of an outsourcing project where database samples were sent out to be worked. That money had run out, that sample came in, and then you run the time lag from the time where the state legislature passed the bill making arrestee samples viable to come into the database. They passed the law, they provided funding, they provided for people, we hired people, we trained people, we brought on the equipment and again cleared out 18,000 samples.” Dym says the turnaround for processing DNA samples is now less than 30 days. The state began collecting DNA samples of those convicted of committing crimes against other persons back in 1996. That was broadened in 2007—thanks to the efforts of Karen Foster, Craig’s mother—to include DNA samples of all convicted felons and anyone arrested of committing a crime against a person. |
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Shancia said on Monday, Sep 5 at 1:07 PM
I knew a Brooks Jackson back in the 80's that had 4 brothers from Wasilla. Do you know the other brothers name that AKAWDOG has mentioned?
73411064AKLAWDOG said on Sunday, Sep 4 at 10:08 AM
What officials wont tell is that Todd Palin bought his weed from Brooks...and participated in sex parties held at the house...and knew who killed the prositute found dead nearby... And that the brother of Brooks committed rape too and Sarah persuaded the Palmer DA to NOT charge him with rape of two children...word is the mother of the children has federal permission to sue the State of Alaska...and that the feds will sit in on court proceedings to decide what crimes to charge the Palins and re-open ethics violations as Governor Frank Murkowski ordered a criminial investigation BEFORE he left office...and Palin killed it... Word is the kids thinks cops are stupid...and they are right...so is the Palins for assuming they can get away with murder...wink..wink..
73372593pmiller said on Tuesday, Aug 16 at 7:07 AM
so there is a 15 year backlog on felon D&A samples while the State has record amounts of resident tax monies pigeonholed away. Way to show your axx state of alaska. At least this freak took himself out of the gene pool, while 17,999 didn't and probably kept offending.
72419187Shame! said on Thursday, Aug 11 at 7:13 PM
law enforcement dropped the ball on this one. We cannot let men who attack little girls escape justice for 20 years. This is exactly why we lead the nation in crimes against children.
72226529Why 20 years? said on Wednesday, Aug 10 at 7:54 PM
Why did this man escape justice? Even 20 years ago they had a massive DNA database. Oh well. he is dead now. No point in doing anything about it now.
72169109JEAN MASSEY said on Wednesday, Aug 10 at 10:52 AM
You NEVER escape justice. There is always HELL waiting.
72141173koopaluk said on Wednesday, Aug 10 at 8:27 AM
People say "In God We Trust"; I most certainly DON'T!! I wonder about the people on the Titanic?
72131519CL said on Wednesday, Aug 10 at 1:43 AM
I remember when this crime happened. My granddaughter was in grade school in the Valley and we were constantly on watch & have been ever since. Now it we are watchful over my great granddaughter. It is an awful thing when little girls are not safe to go to the bus. Glad at least this sicko is no longer around.
72109396Vi said on Tuesday, Aug 9 at 11:26 PM
Pig was a coward. I hope he rots in hell for eternity.
72107168Misty Circle said on Tuesday, Aug 9 at 10:40 PM
DNA may have been collected in the 70s, but without a suspect to match it against there was no way for the police to know who it belonged to. Funding, manpower availability, changing technology and privacy laws that often favor the criminal all combine to slow the clearing of cases. The statement "letting the criminal go for so long was criminal" blames the police for something over which they have no control.
72105827In Response to Failure of Justice said on Tuesday, Aug 9 at 9:47 PM
Re read the article. Jackson committed suicide 6 days after giving the sample. (back in 2006). Justice was served, one can only hope that he will be judged again in the afterlife.
72104069Another Fail said on Tuesday, Aug 9 at 9:41 PM
WELL AT LEAST THE PIG WILL BE OFF THE STREETS FOREVER. TO BAD IT WAS BY HIS OWN HAND. COWARD!
72103833Failure of justice said on Tuesday, Aug 9 at 9:00 PM
Why did it take 20 years to match DNA. DNA was commonly used in investigations back in the 70s. Letting the criminal go for so long was criminal. Effectivly the man escaped justice.
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