Press release from the Asheville Police Department:
On Aug. 3, 2008, the Asheville Police Department (APD) received a report of a sexual assault in the area of South French Broad Avenue. A sexual assault evidence kit was collected; however, it was not sent to the state lab for testing due to the more stringent standards in place for testing at the time.
Recently the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) changed their minimum standards defining when a sexual assault kit can be tested. As a result APD began auditing untested sexual assault kits in March of 2018 to determine whether they met the new standards for testing. Of the 573 untested kits, 275 (to-date), meet the new minimum standards and were sent off for testing. APD will continue to assess remaining kits to determine if they meet new requirements for testing.
In November of 2018 APD, was notified that the kit from the 8/3/08 incident matched a suspect’s sample, Gerald Davis, in the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). Based on the evidence, APD charged Davis on Dec. 11 with Second Degree Forcible Rape.
APD is requesting assistance to locate Gerald Davis, who is believed to be in the eastern part of the state. Davis is described as a black male, 5’11”, 210 lbs, bald with brown eyes.
If anyone has any information on the whereabouts of Gerald Davis they are encouraged to contact the Asheville Police Department at (828) 252-1110 or Asheville-Buncombe Crime Stoppers at (828) 255-5050, if they wish to remain anonymous.
For more information, please contact Christina Hallingse at 828-259-5881 or challingse@ashevillenc.gov.
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