Bronx Man Arrested for a 1995 Gunpoint Rape of Brooklyn Woman on Rooftop of Bedford-Stuyvesant Building

Bronx Man Arrested for a 1995 Gunpoint Rape of

Brooklyn Woman on Rooftop of Bedford-Stuyvesant Building

Advanced DNA Technology Helped Identify the Alleged Defendant Over 30 Years Later

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Bronx man has been charged with rape, robbery and related counts for allegedly assaulting a 36-year-old woman at gunpoint on the rooftop of her mother's apartment building in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, in 1995. Advanced DNA technology helped identify the suspect, who was previously indicted as a John Doe.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said, "The victim in this case endured three decades of trauma and uncertainty following a horrific sexual attack. Technological advances and the persistence of NYPD detectives and our Forensic Science and Cold Case Unit allow us to now seek justice on her behalf. We will continue to use every available tool to investigate and prosecute every crime committed in Brooklyn, no matter how long it takes."

The District Attorney identified the defendant as William Stephens, 54, of the Bronx. He was arraigned today before Supreme Court Justice Donald Leo on an indictment charging him with first-degree rape, first-degree sexual abuse, first-, second-, and third-degree robbery and second-degree assault. He was ordered held on $250,000 bail and to return to court on October, 30, 2026. The defendant is facing a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison if convicted of the top count.

The District Attorney said that on the evening of August 2, 1995, the victim, who was 36 at the time, entered her mother's apartment building in Bed-Stuy and an unknown male allegedly approached her from behind, pressed a firearm against her right side, instructed her to remain quiet and proceeded to lead her up the stairs to the sixth floor and onto the rooftop. At the time, the victim noted that the male appeared to be familiar with the building.

Once on the rooftop, the male allegedly pointed the firearm at her, ordered her to undress and lie down and then raped her while continuing to hold the gun. After the sexual assault, the male removed several pieces of jewelry from the victim and fled the scene.

The victim went to a friend's house and immediately reported the incident. She was transported to Brooklyn Hospital, where a rape kit was collected. A male DNA profile was created but it did not match any profile in the national database. An indictment charging the DNA profile as John Doe was filed in June 2005, before the statute of limitations was set to expire, and the case remained unsolved for another two decades.

Advances in familial DNA technology that were utilized to reevaluate old profiles yielded a person of interest this summer. An abandonment sample taken from the defendant confirmed that his DNA matched the DNA from the 1995 rape kit. The investigation also revealed that his mother and other relatives resided at the time in the apartment building where the assault took place.

The forensic investigation was conducted by Assistant District Attorneys Rachel Singer, Chief of the Forensic Science and Cold Case Unit, Bridget Brodzinski, Deputy Unit Chief, and DNA Specialist Susan Horan.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Daniel Brian Newcombe, of the District Attorney's Special Victims Bureau under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Olatokunbo Olaniyan, First Deputy Bureau Chief, and Miss Gregory, Bureau Chief.