A man long suspected of being the infamous “pillowcase rapist” who terrorized South Florida in the 1980s was convicted on Monday in connection with another of the decades-old assaults.
Robert Koehler, 66, was found guilty of sexual battery, kidnapping, and burglary by a Miami-Dade County jury after they deliberated for less than two hours. His sentencing is scheduled for November 24.
The latest conviction involves a woman who was 22 years old when someone broke into her southwest Miami-Dade County home and raped her in 1984.
Koehler is already serving a 17-year prison sentence, handed down nearly three years ago, for a similar attack on a 25-year-old woman in 1983.
Breaking the Cold Case
The attacker, dubbed the “pillowcase rapist,” earned the moniker for his method of using a pillowcase or other fabric to cover his face or the faces of his victims before assaulting them, tying them up, and stealing from their homes. The series of assaults caused widespread fear and prompted the creation of a dedicated task force, but the case went cold for decades.
The investigation saw a significant breakthrough in 2020 when authorities utilized modern technology to connect a DNA hit from one of Koehler’s relatives to the crime scenes, leading police to him.
Prosecutors have stated they have connected Koehler’s DNA to at least 25 attacks, though they believe the total number of victims could exceed 40. The convictions mark a measure of justice for victims of a crime spree that deeply impacted the community over forty years ago.
READ: Florida AG Fights Efforts To Halt Execution Of Child Rapist, Murderer Bryan Jennings
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