A sexual assault crime that was left in the dark for 11 years was finally resolved Wednesday after Mesa police realized their suspect was already behind bars.
In the daybreak hours of April 23, 1997, a Mesa woman was awakened by a man who broke into her apartment near Longmore and Emelita Avenue, grabbed her and sexually assaulted her. The man masturbated in front of the woman, restrained her and threatened to kill her and her roommates, said police reports. The suspect fled the apartment after one of the victim’s roommates woke up and began to scream.
Seven years later police found that the DNA of convicted felon Keith Winfield Ramsdell, 42, matched DNA samples collected at the scene of the sexual assault in 1997. However, police were unable to make an arrest in the case at the time.
According to Mesa police, Ramsdell has a history of sexual assault arrests and other crimes. He was in police custody early in 2004, however police were unable to locate the victim before Ramsdell’s release, and the case once again went cold.
The case was reopened on July 1 when detectives working on cold cases realized that Ramsdell was once again behind bars for crimes committed in 2005.
Ramsdell was interviewed about the case on July 1, but said he had no idea how his DNA came to be in the apartment on 1997. However, according to police, a recent DNA sample collected from Ramsdell matches previous DNA samples from the crime scene.
Ramsdell has been arrested and charged with attempted sexual assault and burglary in the second degree. He is being held for unrelated offenses at the Arizona State Hospital in the Sexually Violent Persons Unit.
hang the bastard!
Well gee!!!! He said he don’t know how his DNA got there hhhhhhhhhmmmmmmm.should we tell him .Ok i will you broke in hte apt. and then tied the girl up an proceed to take your pants down and the wrapping your hand like a O You then started to play with your self and got off
While Mesa PD is kicking butt arresting rapists, gang members and serial killers, Sheriff Joe rounded up food vendors in the west valley for selling corn from drop houses and not having health cards. What a tough cop he is. What joke!
Great police work! Now cut off his you know what.
And evefryone in Mesa always complains about Latino immigrants…
Who knew that white people were the real sickos in this country. If you don’t believe, look at national stats.
p.s. I am a teacher with a master’s degree, not a latino.
Krys, Ummmm, what to NATIONAL stats have to do with MESA crime stats??
I’m glad you have a master’s degree…by the way, “evefryone” is spelled ‘everyone’.
I’m not “latino” either, just fed up with those that want to coddle them, IF they’re here illegally. I certainly don’t see anything here that has to do with “latinos’” except your comment.
Everyone knows that crime is an equal race issue….this one happened to be a white man. I guess that opens the door for all those to trumpet for the “poor Immigrants” when we should all be sighing in relief that that poor gal has some closure to her hauntings of that terrible night, and that this jack off will be behind bars even longer.
Master’s Degree - don’t you mean MASTERS Degree (without the apostrophe). What school did you go to?