Thanks to the use of DNA evidence, Omaha Police have arrested 54 year old Robert Frazier in connection to five sexual assaults.
Investigators began to piece together the case when officers responded to a report of a sexual assault near 16th and Nicholas on April 1, 2018. They uncovered few initial details about the suspect but obtained a first name and a physical description that included unique facial features.
Detectives in the Special Victims Unit were aware of a similar description given by victims of incidents occurring in 2011. They began searching for suspects who might match the description.
Frazier was identified a possible suspect and police were able to get a court order for collection of a DNA sample. Through laboratory testing, Frazier could not be excluded as a contributor to DNA evidence identified during the investigation. He was arrested for the sexual assault.
Investigators then searched for similar reports that might include the same suspect description and entered evidence from the April 2018 sexual assault into the DNA index system for possible matches. The DNA from the 2018 assault matched sexual assaults dating back to 1996.
Detectives continued their investigation and were able to arrest Frazier on four past sexual assaults in which Frazier cannot be excluded as a possible contributor. Three of the assaults occurred in April 2011 and one in May 2006.
Police said at least three other possible victims have since passed away or the statute of limitations has run out. Police and prosecutors continue their investigation of the cases.