UPDATE: Dennis Earl Bradford has hanged himself in prison. Isn’t karma a bitch?
For over 19 years, Dennis Earl Bradford thought he had gotten away with raping an eight-year-old girl, slitting her throat, and leaving her for dead in a field.
On Tuesday, however, authorities cracked the case using DNA evidence, arrested Bradford in Little Rock, Arkansas and charged him with attempted capital murder.
Bradford, now 40, took little Jennifer Schuett from her home against her will in August of 1990, the FBI stated, then raped her and left her for dead. Schuett’s nearly-dead body was found by a group of children about 14 hours later. She survived the brutal attack.
The case had haunted Dickinson police for several years, but advances in DNA technology and forensics helped break it.
Jennifer Schuett, now 27, fought back tears as she spoke at a press conference in Texas.
“This event in my life was a tragic one,” she said. “But today, 19 years later, I stand here and want you all to know that I am OK. I am not a victim, but instead, victorious.”
More photos and video below…
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- DNA leads to rape suspect after 19 years (cnn.com)
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