DNA MATCH LEADS TO SEXUAL ASSAULT CHARGES

March 1, 2002

Contact: Lynn Kimbrough, 720-913-9025

Denver District Attorney Bill Ritter, Jr. filed formal charges against a sexual assault suspect today after he was identified by Denver police detectives through his DNA.

37-year-old Mark Ashley (DOB: 1-2-64) is charged with kidnapping (F2), sexual assault (F3), and aggravated robbery (F3).

The incident occurred on October 13, 2001 when a 19-year-old woman stopped to use a pay phone in the 2100 block of South Franklin Street.  She was approached by a man who led her away at knifepoint and assaulted her.  After the man fled, the victim returned to her car and was able to flag down a Denver police officer for help.  A DNA profile was submitted to a database, and on February 21, 2002 the comparison resulted in a match that led to today's charges.

Ashley is tentatively scheduled to appear in Denver County Court, room 12T, at 9:00 a.m., March 5, 2002 to be formally advised of the charges against him.

The presumptive range for sentencing on a class 3 felony is 4 to 12 years; the range for a class 4 felony is 2 to 6 years

*The filing of a criminal charge is merely a formal accusation that an individual(s) committed a crime(s) under Colorado laws. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. See Colo. RPC 3.6