Raleigh police make arrest in 1990 rape
Raleigh police connected evidence collected from a sexual assault that took place in December 1990 with DNA in the federal government CODIS (Combined DNA Index System) database to make an arrest on Saturday.
Deandre Marcel Smith, 51, was charged with first-degree rape, first-degree sexual offense and kidnapping. According to the warrant for his arrest, he was 20 at the time of the crime.
A 73-year-old woman reported that a man broke into her home in the 200 block of South State Street, demanded money and raped her on Dec. 30, 1990. That victim died in 1992, police said, and evidence in her case was recently connected to Smith.
Smith has a criminal record that dates back to at least 2007, with charges including assault on a female in both 2011 and 2016, and multiple breaking and entering charges.
On the most recent charges, he was being held on $500,000 bond.
In announcing the arrest, Raleigh Police Lt. Jason Borneo said, "The Raleigh Police Department is committed to bringing justice to victims and families of crimes and will work with our law enforcement partners to ensure violent criminals are identified and apprehended, no matter how long it takes."
