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Man serving life plus 220 years sentenced to additional 50 years for Va. Beach cold case rape

Posted at 5:17 PM, Nov 15, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-15 17:20:19-05

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Robert Lee Lane, was sentenced Wednesday to an additional 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to rape and abduction with the intent to defile.

The incident happened on November 4, 1992. According to the Commonwealth’s Attorney, the victim was walking home from work in the Magic Hollow area of Virginia Beach. Lane passed the victim on a bike and told her that she looked “sexy.”

She ignored him and continued walking. He approached her from behind and put a knife to her neck. He then walked her to a park, pushed her on the table and raped her at knifepoint. He ran away and the victim began screaming for her husband. She ran home and called police.

The victim underwent a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE exam) where evidence, including seminal fluid, was collected and preserved in the custody of the Virginia Beach Police Department.

Police couldn’t find the suspect and the case went cold for many years.

In 2016, the evidence was resubmitted to the Department of Forensic Science for examination to see if a suspect could be identified.  A DNA match was made to Robert Lee Lane.

Lane is currently serving life plus 220 years for charges of abduction with the intent to defile (2 counts), rape (3 counts), and carjacking. He also has prior convictions for indecent liberties, burglary (2 counts), grand larceny, and possession of cocaine.​