NORFOLK, Va. — A man was sentenced to 32 years in prison after he was convicted of armed robbery and rape with intent to commit rape following the reopening of a 1992 cold case, according to the commonwealth's attorney.
The cold case was reopened because 56-year-old Vernon Lorenzo Gray's DNA was found in the victim's rape kit due to the Virginia Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI).
On May 5, 1992, Gray entered the victim's home with a knife through the window of one of the victim's children bedroom, says the commonwealth's attorney.
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The commonwealth's attorney then says Gray found the victim's bedroom and proceeded to rape her.
The DNA evidence, which was originally determined as unidentifiable in 1992, matched Gray following testing as a part of SAKI in August 2023.
Gray pleaded not guilty to the charges in September 2024 but after days of deliberation, the jury found him guilty on all charges, the commonwealth's attorney said.
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“I am proud that Norfolk has secured Virginia’s first jury conviction in a SAKI case, thanks to the hard work of the investigators and prosecutors. I am even more proud of the survivor of this crime, who after decades of uncertainty has come to court, shared her story, and seen her abuser held accountable,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi.
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