Arrest Made in Cold Case Rape in Tuscaloosa 15 Years Later, 1 Suspect Still Unidentified

Investigators have charged a man with first-degree rape more than 15 years after he and another man allegedly assaulted a woman they met at a club in Tuscaloosa, thanks to a DNA match from a state lab.

In Tuscaloosa County, most sexual assault cases are investigated by the Violent Crimes Unit, and its commander, Captain Jack Kennedy, announced the arrest Friday morning.

Kennedy said the case originated in March 2010, when an adult women told police she had been sexually assaulted by two men she met at the long-closed Southern Gentleman's Club on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Tuscaloosa.

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The men were strangers to the victim before that night, Kennedy said, and the VCU was not able to identify any viable suspects. They did collect and keep DNA that suggested two assailants were involved in the assault.

Now, 15 years later, Kennedy said the VCU was notified this summer that the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences had matched the DNA profiles of one man, Stacey Deangelo Martin, to samples pulled from the victim.

Local investigators began working the case again and gave over evidence to the district attorney's office, which presented the case to a grand jury this month. An indictment was issued for Martin, charging him with first-degree rape, and he was placed in the Tuscaloosa County Jail yesterday with no bond.

The search for the other suspect involved in the case continues, even 15 years later.

"The second assailant has not been identified," Kennedy said. "The identified suspect, Stacy Denangelo Martin, was 25 years old at the time of the offense. It was clear at the time of the offense, March 2010.  that he and the unidentified suspect knew and were familiar with each other.  The second suspect was described as an older black male, possibly 35-50 years of age.  Anyone who believes they have information that may help identify this second suspect is urged to contact the VCU at 205-464-8690."

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