On Tuesday, authorities arrested a serial rapist who committed his heinous crimes against Penn State University students beginning in 2010 at locations not far from the school. His final attack took place in 2017.
The Pennsylvania man identified as 36-year-old Jeffrey Fields was caught through genetic genealogy, which pairs DNA samples with profiles from genetic testing companies for consumers. He is facing multiple counts of felony rape, sexual assault, and other crimes for the rapes of the four female students who were ages 19 or 20 at the time, the State College Police Department said in a statement.
DNA collected during rape examinations performed at the time of each incident initially connected all of the rapes to one suspect by the Pennsylvania State Police Crime Lab. However, Fields remained unknown to law enforcement until recently.
The ordeal began on August 22th, 2010, when a 20-year-old woman reported being raped near Apple Alley in State College. The next report of an attack came on January 28th, 2011, when a 19-year-old woman reported that she was raped near Fraternity Row. Another 20-year-old woman came forward with her rape near Fairmount Avenue and South Burrowes Street on April 3rd, 2011. The final rape was reported on July 16th, 2017, when another 19-year-old woman said that she was raped near West Prospect Avenue and South Atherton Street.
Fields is being held at the Centre County Correctional Facility.
