Members of the Philadelphia Special Victims Unit handed out flyers and spoke to members of the public in Fairmount Park Saturday as part of their latest attempt to catch a serial rapist. The day marked the ninth anniversary of his attack.
Investigators say DNA evidence links the man dubbed the “Fairmount Park Rapist” to three attacks, including one murder, between April 30, 2003 and August 11, 2007. All the attacks were committed against women who were jogging or walking in the area.
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“We believe, as many serial offenders do, that this male may strike again, not a matter of if, but when and where, so that's the nature of that offender 41 we want to make sure the public is armed with the proper tools to prevent that from happening,” Captain John Darby said.
Police investigators, cadets from the Police Explorer program took off on foot, bikes and motorized carts along East and West River Drives to hand out sketches of the suspect and information about the attacks. The sketches show the suspect has identifiable scars on his shoulder and the left part of his chest.
“I think it's a great idea that the police decided to still come out and search for him. We can't have things like this preventing us from living our lives,” Nyshawana Francis, a runner, said.
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Police urge anyone using the park to remain vigilant and use caution, since the suspect is still at large.
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