Brooklyn Man Convicted of 2004 Rape of 68-Year-Old Fort Greene Woman Following Cold Case DNA Hit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, October 6, 2017

 

Brooklyn Man Convicted of 2004 Rape of 68-Year-Old Fort Greene Woman
Following Cold Case DNA Hit

Faces up to 25 Years in State Prison at Sentencing

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a 47-year-old man has been convicted of raping a 68-year-old woman after breaking into her Fort Greene apartment in 2004. The defendant was charged with the rape as a result of a “cold hit” following his 2013 arrest in an attempted kidnapping case for which he was required to provide a DNA profile to the New York State DNA databank.

Acting District Attorney Gonzalez said, “With this conviction we bring long-overdue justice to this vulnerable victim who now, at age 81, courageously took the witness stand and testified against the defendant. This violent predator deserves to spend many years in prison.”

The Acting District Attorney identified the defendant as Willie Weathers, 47, of Brooklyn. He was convicted of first-degree rape today following a jury trial before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Ruth Shillingford, who set sentencing for October 23, 2017, at which time he faces up to 25 years in prison.

The Acting District Attorney said that, according to trial testimony, on July 27, 2004, at approximately 7 p.m., the defendant pushed his way into the victim’s Fort Greene, Brooklyn, apartment, breaking down her door. He strangled and raped her. Before fleeing, he took money from her dresser and ripped a chain and a bracelet off of her body.

The victim’s husband returned home from church approximately a half hour after the defendant fled, found his wife and asked a neighbor to call the police. She was taken to Brooklyn Hospital and a sexual assault evidence collection kit was administered.

The defendant was arrested on July 29, 2013, for an attempted gunpoint kidnapping and his DNA was uploaded into the New York State DNA databank and was a match for the DNA collected from the victim in the 2004 rape kit. He is presently serving 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree attempted kidnapping.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Alana Tierney and Senior Assistant District Attorney Deborah Cohen, of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Miss Gregory, Chief.

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