NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) –A cold case DNA hit put Linwood Scott, 68, behind a different set of bars.
In May, Scott was incarcerated outside Richmond — just days away from finishing a 15-year sentence for burglary — when Norfolk Police arrived with new warrants. He was under arrest on charges related to the March 18, 1994, sexual assault of a young mother in her Norfolk home. He’s now in the Norfolk Jail with no bond.
The victim, in an interview with WAVY-TV 10, says after watching television news stories about rape evidence test kits that have sat on shelves for years, she decided last year to contact the Special Victims Unit of the Norfolk police department via email.
A detective called her the next day — reopening a painful chapter in her life.
The crime scene was the woman’s home on Stockton Road. DNA evidence gathered on the crime scene was compared to DNA profiles in a database. Investigators got a hit.
Scott was arrested and indicted on three felony charges. He was in court Monday to determine who will represent him in the 26-year-old case.
In 2015, Attorney General Mark Herring launched a massive effort to clear unsolved rape cases by testing hundreds of evidence kits that been in storage for years. In a statement, Herring said he will not stop until every single kit gets tested.
“Really turning a page in how Virginia handled cases like this. In the past, some of these cases did not get the attention that they should have. But those days are over and all survivors of sexual violence can know that their Attorney General and their Commonwealth is standing with them and we’ll do everything we can to get them on a path of healing and recovery,” said Herring.
The victim told WAVY-TV 10, every day she has flashbacks of what happened to her in the middle of the night on March 18, 1994. Today she feels empowered, knowing the suspect is still alive and she finally has a name and a face of the person who allegedly attacked her.
Scott is due back in court on July 1. Because Scott was arrested following a direct indictment, no preliminary hearing is required before the case goes to trial.
Norfolk Police sent 10 On Your Side a copy of the initial report taken in September. Details are slim in the report, and identifying victim information is redacted, but it said the man who assaulted the woman had a knife or cutting instrument and forced sexual intercourse.
Norfolk Police cannot comment on a pending criminal matter but say if you are the victim of an unsolved violent crime or if you have information about a case, detectives want to hear from you.
Contact the Cold Case Unit at 757-664-7137.