Thursday, March 12, 2009
A string of five rapes in Lawrence may be connected to seven rapes and one attempted rape in Manhattan, Steve Six, Kansas attorney general, announced today.
Because the majority of the attacks occurred while classes were not in session, Six warned Kansans to be cautious during spring break.
“Generally speaking, when universities are not in session, apartments and other student housing areas are often targeted because they know either no one will be there or very few people will be there,” Ashley Anstaett, a spokesperson for the attorney general’s office, said.
She said it was important for students to use common sense and take extra precautions to protect themselves from crime.
Jill Jess, associate director for University Relations, said the University of Kansas released a press release yesterday, as well as an e-mail Monday, warning students to be safe during spring break.
“The goal is to inform students so they can take proper precaution,” Jess said. “We always want to keep students safe, and information is the key to keeping them safe.”
The release provides general safety information for students traveling and staying home, and only mentions the rape incidents by saying, “If staying in Lawrence, students should take reasonable precautions, as some reported sexual assaults and other crimes have occurred during breaks.”
Jess said the University would not be releasing any other information to students warning them specifically about the potential threat for sexual assault over the break.
The five rape cases that occurred in Lawrence took place between July 14, 2004 and Dec. 1, 2008. The University Daily Kansan reported on Dec. 9, 2008, that police suspected the rapes were connected.
Lawrence Police compiled a general suspect description in December from the five cases. The suspect was described as a white male between 25 and 40 years old, ranging in height from 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet tall with a slim build. Police said the suspect was armed with a weapon.
In his press release, Six said it was suspected that the five rapes in Lawrence were also connected to eight other incidents in Manhattan. Anstaett said recently there had been enough similarities between the Lawrence and Manhattan cases to connect them.
Capt. Tim Hegarty of the Riley County Police Department said the string of incidents in Manhattan began with an attempted rape in October 2000. From October 2001 to August 2007, seven other rapes were reported.
Hegarty said the Riley County Police Department and the Lawrence Police Department had been cooperating with the investigation before bringing it to the attorney general’s office. Hegarty said the attorney general’s office could help to investigate crimes that overlapped different jurisdictions.
— — Edited by Heather Melanson
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Lawrence, Manhattan rapes may be related
I hope they catch this creep...
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