***MEDIA ADVISORY*** March 29, 2007                                FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact:  Curtis T. Hill, Jr., (574) 296-1888 DNA EVIDENCE SNAGS ARMED RAPIST            An Elkhart Superior Court No. 2 jury did not take much time in determining that William E.W. Jackson, age 21, of Columbus, Ohio, was guilty of Rape While Armed with a Deadly Weapon, and Burglary, following a two-day trial, which culminated with the verdict on March 15, 2007.  Jackson had been accused of raping an Elkhart woman at knifepoint, while she was tending to her sick three-year old child, who had a fever.  According to evidence presented in the trial, Jackson entered through an unsecured window at 2:00 a.m.              DNA evidence recovered from the scene and from the rape kit conducted at Elkhart General Hospital was entered into a national DNA database, and a DNA forensic analyst of the Indiana State Police received a confirmation that the same DNA taken from an item of clothing documented in the State of Ohio matched the recovered sample.             Follow-up was conducted by Elkhart Police Department detectives revealing that William E.W. Jackson was the alleged source of the DNA taken from the item of clothing in Ohio, and in fact, Jackson was being held on a separate charge in the State of Ohio.             Subsequently, a search warrant was obtained to collect a DNA standard from William Jackson which when compared with the DNA evidence from the September 5, 2001, Elkhart rape, proved to be a positive match.             ISP forensic analyst, Sharon Pollock testified that “absent an identical twin”, William Jackson is the source of DNA taken from the vaginal wash and medical swabs of the victim.  Deputy Prosecuting, Attorney Mark D. Altenhof, cross-examined William’s mother, who was called to the stand by the defense, and asked her the question; “Does your son have an identical twin?”  Her response was “no”.             The fact pattern resulting in the March 15 conviction is very similar to the allegations against Jackson in Ohio, where he is alleged to have entered through an unsecured window at 2:30 in the morning, raping a woman while her child was sleeping in a nearby room.             “Mr. Jackson is quite a nasty fellow that needs to be put away.  The Indiana State Police and Elkhart Police Department, along with Deputy Prosecutor Altenhof and Ohio authorities, did an excellent job of working together to nail an apparent serial rapist.”, said Prosecuting Attorney Curtis T. Hill, Jr.