The "DNA Proves Costly To Lancaster Man" Story

It was an ordinary day.  On my way to work in nearby Neffsville, Pennsylvania when I made a turn onto Sutton Place.  I was greeted by at least a half dozen Manheim Township, as well as State Police cars, most with their lights flashing.  I recognized the woman police officer who was directing me to turn around and opened my window to ask what was going on.  She smiled when she was it was me, but was only able to tell me it was a police matter at a home down the street.  Found out when I went home a few hours later that the State Police were charging a nearby resident with raping two women, one in 2000 and one in 2001.  Then as I continued to watch the story on the noontime news, they reported that the fellow, Charles Eugene Musser, Jr., when he found the police at the door, slammed it shut and locked it.  A verbal exchange took place and Mr. Musser went to a bedroom, passing his young son in the hallway.  The police forced their way into the home and after removing the child, found Mr. Musser, dead in the bedroom.  It was back on November 1, 2005, that Pennsylvania State Police troopers charged a "John Doe" with raping two women a year apart; one in 2000 and one in 2001.  

Newspaper story reported DNA linked a man to two rapes,
but they had no name until a a few days ago.

Both rapes occurred in the southern end of Lancaster County.  But, at the time, they had no clue as to whom might have committed the crimes.  About a year ago, Trooper Brian McNally took another look at the unsolved case.  At the time, about 100 names had come up as possible suspects.  The police had DNA evidence in their database from the two rapes, but had no concrete suspects.  Trooper McNally recently met with Brett Hambright, a spokesman for the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office to discuss possible suspects.  The newspaper said specifics about the crime could not be discussed.  Well, somehow Mr. Musser's name must have come up and they decided to get a DNA sample from Mr. Musser.  In April the police collected Musser's trash from outside his home on Sutton Place.  A sample taken from a 20-ounce Dr. Pepper bottle matched the DNA samples from both previous rapes.  Trooper McNally said that the bottles have ridges at the top of the neck that rip little bits of our mouth off making it easy to collect DNA.  It was reported in the paper that police don't need a search warrant to gather trash, so once it was put out for disposal, it was considered abandoned and therefore liable to take by the police.  Musser would have been 20 when police said he raped the first victim, a 69-year-old woman who has since died.  The second victim was a woman riding a bike in East Drumore Township when he attacked her with a stick, dragged her into a field and sexually assaulted and raped her.  Both rapes happened near Mr. Musser's home at the time.  In 2005 a reward was offered for information leading to an arrest, but no leads followed.  After determining, due to the DNA sample, that the culprit was Mr. Musser, he was charged with both rapes.  And, just before I reached the location on my way to work, the police had surrounded his home on Sutton Place.  I fell bad for his young child, but at least a rapist has finally been taken off the streets of Lancaster County.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.