Kalamazoo, Mich. – A North Carolina man is awaiting trial this month after DNA evidence connected him to a nearly 13-year-old sexual assault case near Western Michigan University.
Dustin Thomas, 35, faces one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct following a pretrial hearing held Monday in Kalamazoo County Court. The charge stems from a 2012 sexual assault in which a 21-year-old woman was attacked at a fraternity house near the university. Although the victim reported the assault to police, the rape kit collected at the time was not tested until years later, allowing the case to remain unsolved.
In 2022, the Kalamazoo Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) re-examined the rape kit, and DNA evidence linked Thomas to the assault. The case was then referred for prosecution.
“The Sexual Assault Kit Initiative continues to deliver for survivors in often-difficult cold cases, and my office is proud to support their efforts,” said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel in a statement.
Since its establishment in 2016, the SAKI program has made significant progress in processing cold-case sexual assault kits across Michigan. The Kalamazoo division has worked to address over 200 unsolved sexual assault cases dating back to 1976, with many cases now seeing renewed attention thanks to the initiative’s efforts.
Kalamazoo County Prosecuting Attorney Jeffrey S. Getting highlighted the importance of the program, stating, “Because of their hard work, we are able to bring forward a case, despite the passage of more than a decade, on behalf of a survivor that otherwise would not have a chance for justice.”
The case is an example of how forensic advancements and the SAKI initiative are helping to bring long-delayed justice for survivors. Forensic re-examination of previously untested rape kits is helping solve cases that may have otherwise been forgotten, offering hope to victims who have waited years for justice.
As Thomas prepares for trial, advocates for sexual assault survivors hope this case will further emphasize the importance of ongoing efforts to address cold cases and ensure perpetrators are held accountable, no matter how much time has passed.
