The Lawrenceville Police Department announced Wednesday the arrest of 66-year-old Glenn Plybon in connection to multiple violent rapes in 1986.
Lawrenceville Police announced an arrest on Wednesday in connection to a series of violent rapes in 1986, saying a break was made thanks to recent forensic analysis that allowed investigators to finally identify a suspect after four decades.
The department said 60-year-old Glenn Plybon was identified and arrested in part thanks to investigative genealogy. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation ᴀssisted with the case.
According to Lawrenceville PD, multiple adult female victims reported Sєxual ᴀssaults in their apartments during the summer of 1986, and the suspect “ultimately fled each scene prior to law enforcement being contacted.”
“At the time of the incidents, investigators recognized several similarities between the cases, including the method of entry, the suspect’s physical description,” a release said. “Despite extensive investigative efforts, including interviews and identification procedures, the case remain unsolved for decades.”
The cases were reopened last year, however, with resubmitted evidence for forensic testing. The GBI shared that it reached out to the police department last July as it worked to ᴀssist local agencies with CODIS forensic matches, which would identify DNA from multiple crime scenes from the same offender.
The GBI shared that its cold case unit and Lawrenceville Police partnered with Othram, Inc. for advanced DNA testing. With those efforts, Plyborn was identified as a suspect. His arrest came on March 18, charging him with three counts of rape in connection with three women in the summer of 1986, according to the GBI.
“Our detectives’ persistence and dedication show that we never give up fighting for victims of crime,” Lawrenceville Police Chief John Mullin said in a statement. “This arrest demonstrates how advancements in DNA technology can bring long-awaited justice. I am grateful to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for their ᴀssistance in this case. Even after nearly 40 years, modern technology and strong partnerships between law enforcement agencies helped us solve this decades-old case, hold the offender accountable and bring some measure of peace to the victims and their families.”
The investigation at this point remains active, the department release noted, and anyone with information about the 1986 cases or other possible incidents is urged to contact Lawrenceville PD.
GBI Director Chris Hose said in a statement that “every victim deserves justice, and we will not relent in our pursuit of it.”
