Police Search for Missing Kentucky Girl
 

WHEATON(APRIL 26, 2005) -- On March 1, at approximately 11:39 p.m., officers from the Montgomery County Police Department responded to the 3000 block of Bel Pre Road in Aspen Hill, for the report of a runaway.

Detectives from the Montgomery County Police Family Crimes Division – Missing Children’s Unit are asking the public for help as they search for the runaway, who was last seen at the Trailways bus station on Fenton Street, in Silver Spring on February 23, 2005.

Tina Denise Major is a 16-year-old black female, 5’3” tall, weighing 120 pounds, with brown eyes, and shoulder-length brown hair. She was last seen wearing a maroon-colored velour sweat suit. Tina Major was dropped off at the bus station to catch a bus back to her home in Kentucky. Major contacted her Aunt, who resides on Bel Pre Road, and advised that she was at the bus station. However, she never arrived as expected in Kentucky on February 24.

Anyone with information regarding Tina Denise Major or her whereabouts is asked to call the Montgomery County Police Family Crimes Division at 240-773-5400 or the Montgomery County Police non-emergency telephone number at 301-279-8000.

DNA Match Identifies Rape Suspect
 

SILVER SPRING(APRIL 26, 2005) -- Between 1987 and 1991, detectives with the Montgomery County Police - Major Crimes Division investigated a series of stranger rapes committed in the Silver Spring, Kensington, Chevy Chase, and Bethesda areas of the county. The suspect would enter a single family home or apartment at night via an unlocked door or window, armed with a knife. At the time, the description of the suspect was a black male, in his late 20’s or 30’s, with an average build who left the scene on foot. Many hours were spent investigating these cases, but a suspect was never identified. Eventually, detectives were able to link nine of the incidents by DNA.

In March of this year, detectives were notified that a DNA match was made implicating an individual that had recently been incarcerated in New York. Subsequent investigation revealed that during the time of the attacks, the suspect had addresses in Silver Spring and Washington, D.C., and had been employed in the metropolitan area.

At this time, detectives are fairly confident that the same suspect is responsible for approximately three other rapes and four other attempted rapes that occurred during that same time period. The modus of operandi (M.O.) in those cases and the suspect descriptions are very similar. Those seven cases will be re-evaluated to determine if there is any DNA evidence available to compare to that of the suspect. It is also possible that there will be more cases linked to this suspect in the future.

Lieutenant Raum, who was a young investigator at the time of these incidents and now is Deputy Director of the Major Crimes Division, has been successful in contacting five of the nine victims in the DNA matched cases. Each of the victims contacted appeared to be surprised when Lieutenant Raum told them that a suspect in their case had been identified and is currently incarcerated. Many thought that their case had been forgotten. According to Lieutenant Raum, he noted a sense of relief from each of the victims and was impressed by their positive attitudes and willingness to testify at trial. Detectives continue to try to make contact with the four additional victims.

Charges in the Montgomery County cases are pending against the suspect. New York officials have named the suspect; however Montgomery County Police will not publicize his name until he is officially charged.