1984 Columbia rape suspect ordered to be brought to Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A North Carolina man charged with rape will soon be back in Mid-Missouri.
According to the Boone County Prosecutor's Office, James F. Wilson has been ordered to be extradited to Missouri.
Wilson, of Mooresville, North Carolina, was arrested on Oct. 27 in connection with the March 1984 rape and assault of a woman in northeast Columbia.
Wilson, 59, has been in the Iredell County Jail in North Carolina since he was arrested. It is unclear how soon he will be booked into the Boone County Jail.
Boone County's Prosecuting Attorney Roger Johnson, filed charges against Wilson, 59, on Oct. 25.
The case was reopened in 2020 for further investigation and the sexual assault kit was sent for DNA testing. CPD notified a possible family match to the suspect, where the suspect pool was narrowed down and was determined that Wilson lived in Columbia at the time of the incident.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation became involved after it was learned that's where Wilson lives. The bureau grabbed some of his trash and found a disposable razor with hair in the blades.
The razor and other items were sent to CPD. The razor was then sent for DNA analysis, where it then matched the profile from the rape kit.
Wilson chose not to waive extradition in November.
Despite the arrest happening recently, Wilson's case will be tried under 1984 statutes. Johnson said the charges in 1984 were attempted murder or attempt to knowingly cause serious physical injury.
"Legally, the criminal statues that were in effect at the time of an offense apply to the procedural statues at the trial apply," Johnson said. "When somebody commits a crime years ago, in a court case we have to pull those statues. And that's the law that governs the case."
Johnson said the first-degree assault charges are similar to charges now. However, the rape charges have changed over the years.
"Rape has been divided into multiple different levels," Johnson said. "Now, we have rape in the first degree, which is forcible rape. And that would be an unclassified felony and (sentencing would be) five years up to any number of years."
