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Bernard MIDDLETON
Classification: Murderer
Characteristics: Serial
rapist
Number of victims: 1
Date of murder:
October 16,
1995
Date
of arrest:
August 8,
2002
Date of birth:
May 29,
1947
Victim profile: A
32-year old woman
Method of murder: ???
Location: Cook
County, Illinois, USA
Status: Sentenced to 50 years in prison in 2003
Offender Bernard
Middleton
Bernard Middleton has
been charged with one murder and three aggravated criminal sexual
assaults.
Bernard Middleton was
arrested for felonies in 1987 and 1993, if Illinois required him to give
a DNA sample after either arrest, a DNA match could have been obtained
with the DNA evidence recovered from his first rape, thereby identifying
him as the offender and the subsequent murder and two rapes would have
been prevented.
Timeline of Events
On January 17, 1987,
Bernard Middleton was arrested for Aggravated Battery.
On May 6, 1993, Bernard
Middleton was arrested for Felony Theft.
On September 25, 1995,
a 22-year old woman was raped. As she waited for a bus, an offender
placed a knife to her head, led her to an isolated area, beat and raped
her on the 600 block of West Garfield. DNA evidence was recovered.
On October 16, 1995, a
32-year old woman was found murdered. She was lured into a stairwell at
Hope Academy on the 5500 block of South Lowe, raped, and then murdered.
Her body was found in the stairwell. DNA evidence was recovered from
the criminal sexual assault kit.
On May 28, 1997,
Bernard Middleton was arrested for Felony Theft. Another missed
opportunity to have his DNA sample entered into the system and to
prevent further violence.
On July 25, 1997, a 34-year
old woman was raped. The offender placed a knife against her head, told
that she would be killed and then raped her on the 5500 block of South
Calumet. DNA evidence was recovered.
On September 14, 1998,
Bernard Middleton was arrested for Felony Theft. Convicted on October 9,
1998 and sentenced to probation for 1 year. Another missed opportunity
to have his DNA sample entered into the system and to prevent further
violence.
On October 31, 1998, a
48-year woman was raped. As she walked down the street, an offender
grabbed her from behind, placed a knife against her, forced her to the
alley and raped her on the 1500 Block of North Claremont Avenue. DNA
evidence was recovered.
On November 12, 2001,
Bernard Middleton was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance.
Another missed opportunity to have his DNA sample entered into the
system and to prevent further violence.
On August 8, 2002,
Bernard Middleton was arrested for Felony Retail Theft. Convicted and
sentence to 20 months. Another missed opportunity to have his DNA sample
entered into the system and to prevent further violence.
On May 1, 2003, Bernard
Middleton was charged with the aforementioned murder and three rapes.
While Bernard Middleton was in prison for a Retail Theft conviction in
2002, his DNA sample was entered into the DNA database and his sample
matched the evidence recovered from the previous unresolved cases. If
his DNA sample had been taken on May 6, 1993, the murder and 2 rapes
would not have happened.
