Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Friday 24 January 2020
Prosecutor: DNA match leads to Florida 'pillowcase rapist'

By CURT ANDERSON jewelry and other items, They had a match.
AP Legal Affairs Writer including a nail file, that When he appeared in Bre-
MIAMI (AP) — A DNA might be linked to some of vard County court before
match has led to a Florida the crimes. his transfer to Miami, Koe-
man prosecutors suspect The "pillowcase rapist" was hler blurted out that he was
is the "pillowcase rapist" so named because he "not guilty" of the assaults.
responsible for numerous used a pillowcase or other He was convicted in a 1990
sexual assaults of women in fabric to cover the faces of rape in Palm Beach County
the Miami area during the his victims, usually after he and sentenced to proba-
1980s. broke into an apartment or tion, which he later violat-
Robert Koehler, 60, was ar- town home. ed and served 120 days in
rested over the weekend The assaults were often jail.
in Brevard County and was committed at knifepoint, That case, however, was
being held without bond authorities said. never linked to the series
Thursday after his transfer Alfredo Ramirez, director of assaults in Miami and
to a Miami jail. He faces of the Miami-Dade Police elsewhere in South Florida.
charges in one assault Department, said the in- Rundle said that was main-
though authorities say as vestigation was a massive ly because DNA samples
many as 25 victims could one encompassing much were not yet mandatory.
be involved. of South Florida. The series A task force launched in
Miami-Dade State Attor- of assaults terrorized South the 1980s to search for the
ney Katherine Fernandez Florida for the early 1980s. attacker was disbanded in
Rundle said it will take time "A lot of sweat and tears 1987, but was recently re-
to locate victims and de- was put into this case," vived by the Miami-Dade
termine if there is enough Ramirez said. "We're going Police Department's cold
evidence to prosecute all Robert Eugene Koehler in court at his first appearance before to make sure he stays in case squad.
of these cases. The rapes Judge David Silverman via closed circuit Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020 jail." "No matter how long ago
occurred between 1981 at the Brevard County Jail in Sharpes, Fla. According to an arrest war- it happened, we will never
and 1986. Associated Press rant, investigators obtained forget," Ramirez said.
She said the arrest of Koe- a DNA sample from Koe- Authorities said Koehler
hler will "hopefully bring "They did a phenomenal again." hler's son following an un- had worked as an electri-
some justice and some job," she said. "It's going to Authorities in Brevard related arrest. That sample cian while living in Palm
measure of peace" to the take some time. But we feel County also found a pit of was linked to one of the as- Bay, Florida.
victims. Rundle also said confident that there are a sorts had been dug under saults, leading detectives Rundle said victims could
quick work by lab tech- number of sufficient cases Koehler's house, according to Brevard County where be living anywhere now.
nicians coupled with im- that we can prosecute. to a search warrant. They they followed Koehler to She urged them to call a
provements in DNA tech- We want to ensure that also said they found several obtain DNA samples from hotline set up for this case:
nology led to the arrest. this man is never, ever free safes containing women's objects he touched. 305-547-0441.q

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consumers identify licensed
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Shoppers could use their
smartphones to scan the
familiar, boxy label known
as a QR code — similar to
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The codes also would be
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"The proposed regula-
tions will help consumers
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bis goods from unlicensed
businesses," said Lori Ajax,
In this June 28, 2017, file photo, workers put barcode stickers on
jars of marijuana at the Desert Grown Farms cultivation facility who heads the state's Bu-
in Las Vegas. reau of Cannabis Control.
Associated Press "These requirements will
also assist law enforcement
By MICHAEL R. BLOOD state's flourishing illegal pot in distinguishing between
Associated Press market, California regula- legal and illegal transpor-
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Want tors proposed rules Thurs- tation of cannabis goods."
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shop in California? Grab gal shops to post a unique largest legal pot market
your smartphone. black-and-white code in — kicked off broad, legal
In another step to curb the storefront windows to help sales in January 2018.q