1. Advanced DNA testing helps solve North Texas cold case
2. Long-awaited closure in North Texas cold case due to DNA breakthroughs.
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
AUSTIN, Texas — After years of tireless investigation by the Texas Rangers and local law enforcement, a cold case from 2005 has finally been solved, resulting in the conviction of a 41-year-old man.
Jessie Rodriquez, a resident of Mills County, was recently found guilty by the 35th Judicial District Court of attempted aggravated sexual assault, a second-degree felony. As a result, he has been sentenced to the maximum term of 20 years in prison. The charges stem from a disturbing incident that took place in Mills County in 2005.
The incident occurred in the early hours of August 13, 2005, when Rodriquez forcibly entered a residence, armed himself with a knife from the kitchen, and proceeded to a bedroom where a 21-year-old woman was asleep. He then held the knife to her throat and attempted to sexually assault her. Both Rodriquez and the victim sustained injuries during the altercation, with Rodriquez leaving behind a drop of blood at the scene before fleeing.
Law enforcement officials were able to recover the blood sample, which was analysed by forensic scientists at the Texas DPS Crime Lab. A DNA profile was developed from the sample and entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) database, but no matches were found at the time.
Breakthrough in 2021
In a significant breakthrough in 2021, the Texas Rangers, in collaboration with the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, decided to initiate a CODIS familial DNA search. This was made possible through the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), a federal grant from the Department of Justice and Bureau of Justice Assistance that provides funding for advanced DNA testing.
The results of the familial DNA search indicated that a convicted felon, whose DNA profile was already in CODIS, shared a paternal relative with the unknown DNA profile from the cold case. Further investigation revealed that the unknown profile belonged to Jessie Rodriquez. After conducting surveillance and obtaining a DNA sample, forensic scientists from the DPS Lab in Waco confirmed Rodriquez’s identity. Subsequently, Rodriquez confessed to the crime and pleaded guilty in December 2023.
The Texas Rangers expressed their gratitude to the DPS Crime Lab forensic scientists in Waco, Garland, and the Austin CODIS section, as well as the Mills County Sheriff’s Office and the 35th Judicial District Attorney’s Office for their collaborative efforts in bringing closure to this long-standing cold case.
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1. Cold case solved after nearly two decades due to advanced DNA testing in North Texas
2. Advanced DNA testing leads to resolution of long-standing cold case in North Texas.
