Man Who Fled on Sailboat to Avoid Arrest for Upskirt Photos Sentenced in 1987 Sexual Assault Cold Case

A man who escaped from Williamsburg to Florida on a sailboat to evade charges of taking illicit upskirt photos was convicted on Monday for a 1987 sexual assault cold case that he was connected to through DNA evidence.

In a recent development, Richard Lee Gibson, a 61-year-old man, has been indicted by a grand jury on multiple charges related to a case from December 10, 1987. The charges include rape, abduction with intent to defile, inanimate object penetration, sodomy, and aggravated sexual battery.

According to James City County police, an incident occurred where a man abducted and committed multiple sexual offenses against a victim in a section of the Midlands Apartment Complex that was under construction. After an investigation, the police were unable to establish a suspect profile, and unfortunately, the case eventually went cold.

In 2019, the suspect’s DNA was sent to the Virginia DNA Data Bank, but no match was found. Regular searches will be conducted in both the Virginia and National DNA Data Banks to check for any potential matches in the future.

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In October 2022, the Williamsburg police accused Gibson of surreptitiously recording an unsuspecting woman using his cell phone. Gibson managed to avoid arrest despite the issuance of two misdemeanor warrants.

In March of 2023, an individual noticed Gibson navigating a boat on the Caloosahatchee River in Florida. Having seen him in the media, they promptly contacted the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

Gibson was apprehended in Florida and later transported back to Virginia. According to investigators, Gibson deliberately escaped Virginia by sailing away in a sailboat along the Intracoastal Waterway.

During the time the individual was held, a DNA sample was collected. Several months later, this sample resulted in a connection to a cold case from 1987 in the DNA database.

Police delivered Gibson his grand jury indictments while he was still in custody at Virginia Regional Peninsula Jail for the Williamsburg upskirt charges. In a recent development, he opted for an Alford plea, where he acknowledged the presence of enough evidence for a conviction without admitting guilt.

A judge has sentenced Gibson to life in prison for the 1987 rape, with 35.5 years suspended for the 61-year-old man.

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