DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A DeKalb County jury has convicted a man of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman in a 1988 cold case.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
On May 20, Reginald Colwell, 58, of Albany was found guilty of kidnapping rape, and aggravated assault.
The conviction stems from an incident that happened on December 30, 1988.
Investigators said a 20-year-old victim went to the DeKalb County Police Department to report that she had been raped.
She told investigators she was headed out to meet her boyfriend earlier that evening and heard a noise as she locked her apartment front door.
According to authorities, when she turned around, a man in a ski mask put a knife to her throat and forced her into the woods behind the apartment complex on Weatherly Drive in unincorporated Stone Mountain.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Chase in DeKalb ends in serious crash, blocking traffic on I-285
- GA parents accused of waiting to report 6-month-old’s death while possessing cocaine
- Atlanta Public Schools approves new $1.3 billion budget, will cut 135 positions
Investigators said the man held the 20-year-old at knifepoint and raped her, threatening to kill her if she refused. After the attack, the man told the victim to stay on the ground and ran off.
Authorities said the woman then ran to a nearby neighborhood for help. A woman helped the victim call her boyfriend, who then rushed her to the DKPD to file a report.
Investigators searched the woods and found the victim’s purse and other belongings.
The victim was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital for a sexual assault exam.
According to the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office, DNA testing wasn’t available at the time of the crime, however, biological evidence collected in the kit was kept by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
In June 2019, evidence from the case was tested with the help of the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative.
From there, they secured a warrant to collect Colwell’s DNA sample, pinning him as the suspect in the crime. Investigators learned he was living in DeKalb County in 1988.
On Tuesday, a judge sentenced Colwell to two life sentences, plus 20 years, all to be served consecutively.
©2025 Cox Media Group
