New DNA Technology Solves 2005 Cold Case

AUSTIN – The resolution of a nearly two-decade-old cold case stands as a testament to the diligent efforts of the Texas Rangers and local law enforcement. Last month, the 35th Judicial District Court of Mills County delivered a conviction to Jessie Rodriquez, 41, on charges of attempted aggravated sexual assault, a second-degree felony. Rodriquez faced the maximum penalty of a 20-year prison sentence.

The conviction originates from a 2005 cold case in Mills County. On the early morning of Aug. 13, 2005, Rodriquez forcibly entered a residence, armed himself with a knife from the kitchen, and intruded into a bedroom where a 21-year-old woman lay sleeping. Threatening her with the knife, he attempted to sexually assault her. In the course of the struggle, Rodriquez momentarily shifted the knife, enabling the woman to wrest it away from him.

Both the victim and Rodriquez sustained injuries from the knife, and Rodriquez left a trace of blood at the scene before fleeing.

Sheriff's investigators recovered the blood, and a forensic scientist from the Texas DPS Crime Lab developed a single-source DNA profile from the unknown male suspect at the time. Although the profile was entered into CODIS (the Combined DNA Index System), no matches emerged initially. Undeterred, sheriff's investigators persisted in their efforts, collecting samples without success.

In 2021, the Texas Rangers collaborated with the Mills County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) to initiate a CODIS familial DNA search, made feasible through the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) – a federal grant provided by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) for advanced DNA testing.

Under SAKI, DPS Crime Labs in Waco and Garland, in conjunction with the CODIS section in Austin, examined the single-source profile against over a million CODIS profiles for a familial match. The results revealed a convicted felon, whose DNA profile resided in CODIS, sharing a paternal relative with the unknown profile – now identified as Rodriquez – whose blood was found at the victim’s home in 2005.

The Texas Rangers furnished this information to MCSO. Armed with this revelation, MCSO employed genealogy to pinpoint a suspect. After conducting surveillance and securing a DNA sample, forensic scientists from the DPS Lab in Waco verified the true identity of the suspect as Jessie Rodriguez. In December 2023, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to the crime.

The Texas Rangers express gratitude to the DPS Crime Lab forensic scientists in Waco, Garland, and the Austin CODIS section, as well as the Mills County Sheriff’s Office and 35th Judicial District Attorney's Office for their collaborative efforts leading to the successful resolution of this cold case.

About the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative

The Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) project, funded by the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), aids in the collection of DNA from potential suspects. This program is geared towards identifying and prosecuting violent serial sex offenders while addressing the issue of unsubmitted sexual assault kits.

DPS joined SAKI in 2019 when the Texas Rangers received two grants from the BJA. The funding supports the collection and entry of lawfully owned DNA into CODIS, as well as the investigation and prosecution of sexually related cold case homicides and sexual assault cases. SAKI grant funds are utilized by the Texas Rangers for genetic genealogy testing of DNA samples from unknown offenders linked to sexual assaults and sexually related homicides, fostering collaboration with other law enforcement agencies.