DNA links New Orleans serial rape suspect to 3 Kansas City attacks from 2004: charges
A serial rape suspect jailed in New Orleans has been charged with three counts of rape in Kansas City after investigators linked the cases with DNA evidence, according to prosecutors.
Daniel Meridy was charged Tuesday in Jackson County Circuit Court with three counts of rape in addition to 15 other offenses including kidnapping, forcible sodomy and sex abuse.
Charging documents indicate the crimes occurred on May 11, 14 and 20 of 2004 and involved three victims.
The kidnappings occurred at 38th Street and Troost Avenue, at Armour Boulevard and Troost; and at 39th Street and Flora Avenue. In 2007, the prosecutor’s office filed a criminal case naming “John Doe,” who was identified only by a DNA profile.
The New Orleans investigation began years later, after several assaults were reported between 2015 and 2018.
Police in New Orleans discovered that DNA collected in sexual assault kits matched the three unsolved sexual assaults in Kansas City, which allegedly involved the use of a handgun or knife.
The 35-year-old was arrested in New Orleans in December 2018. He was indicted on rape and kidnapping charges in the Louisiana case in March of this year.
The New Orleans attacks were described as “stranger” sexual assaults. It’s unclear if the circumstances in Kansas City were similar.
The Kansas City victims were recently contacted about their cases, the prosecutor’s office said.
Meridy remains jailed in New Orleans.
This story was originally published December 10, 2019 at 4:46 PM.
