Delaware State Police
News Release

Wilmington Man Arrested on Sexual Assault Charges from ’05 Investigation

Released Friday, January 09, 2009

Dover – The Delaware State Police have arrested a Ronnie W. Davis, 47 of Maryland Avenue, Wilmington in connection to an unsolved “stranger” sexual assault that occurred on August 28, 2005.                               

The investigation began in August ’05 after a 33-year-old Dover woman reported to police that an unknown male sexually assaulted her in her Sam Wilson Lane residence, outside of Dover. Detectives from Troop 3 responded to investigate and learned the victim was sleeping in her residence. She was awakened to find an unidentified black male suspect lying on top of her. The suspect held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her if she screamed. He then preceded to forcefully sexual assault the victim and fled on foot from the home.

The victim provided a general description of the suspect; approx late 40s to 50s, 5"10", 185 lbs, with salt and pepper medium length beard. Investigators determined that the suspect entered the residence through a window, and that a cinderblock had been placed under this window exterior in order to reach the window to gain entry.

Subsequently, a forensic sexual assault examination was conducted on the victim at Kent General Hospital to obtain any evidence. DNA evidence was obtained and submitted to the state Office of Chief Medical Examiner for analysis and entered into the national DNA data bank.

Two days later on August 31, 2005 an anonymous call was placed to 911 from the payphone at Bergold labor camp (located off Bergold lane) near the victim’s residence. The anonymous caller indicated that a labor camp resident named "Ron" was responsible for the crime, and that he had recently shaved his beard and was planning to leave town soon. Troopers from Troop 3 responded to the camp and located Ronnie W. Davis. He was interviewed and informed  investigators he was not involved in the crime. With no evidence and or probable cause to link Davis to this crime, he was released. 

On July 10, 2004, the Georgia Medical Examiners Office was examining another DNA sample recovered from a victim of a sexual assault in Georgia. That DNA was later entered into a database. In February 2008, representatives from the Georgia Medical Examiners Office contacted authorities in Delaware to inform them of the fact the two DNA samples recovered were an identical match. This meant both sexual assault victims were assaulted by the same person. However, the DNA obtained did not match any of the offenders listed in the national DNA database.  

Detectives contacted the investigating police agency in Georgia, the Brunswick GA Police Department, and learned they had a suspect in their case. That suspect was Mr. Davis. A search began for Mr. Davis in which police could not locate him in Delaware or Georgia.

The DSP investigators contacted the Delaware Information and Analysis Center (DIAC) for assistance and were able to locate a subject who was using the same social security number as Mr. Davis, but this person had a different name. Investigators obtained a photograph of this person and were able to positively identify him as the same Ronnie Davis that was interviewed in 2005.

Mr. Davis was operating under an alias and investigators were able to locate an address and employment information on him. That information led detectives to contact Mr. Davis yesterday morning on a job site in Edgemoore. He was detained and brought to Troop 3 where detectives conducted an interview and obtained a search warrant to secure a DNA sample from Mr. Davis. During the interview, detectives obtained information from Mr. Davis that placed him at the scene of the crime on the same date and time when the crime occurred.

Based on the corroboration of statements made by the victim and suspect an arrest warrant was obtained and Mr. Davis was charged with Rape First Degree, Burglary First Degree, and Possession of a Weapon during Commission of a Felony and Possession of a Deadly Weapon by Person Prohibited. He was committed to the James T Vaughn Correctional Center in default of $86,000.00 cash-only bond.

Note: The DSP are awaiting results of the DNA comparison.