SCOTTSBURG, Ind. (WISH) — A 53-year-old Tennessee man has been arrested in connection with a 1996 rape investigation in Scott County, Indiana.
In September 1996, then–Indiana State Police Detective Delmar Gross—now a lieutenant in the investigative division—responded to a report from a woman who said she was raped after leaving the former Austin Lounge in Austin, Indiana, with two men. The woman provided a name she believed was her attacker, but DNA testing later confirmed that person was not the perpetrator.
Nearly three decades later, in June 2025, a forensic scientist with the Indiana State Police notified Gross that advanced DNA technology had identified a close genetic relative of the original suspect’s DNA profile.
Acting on the new lead, ISP Cold Case Detective Matt Busick conducted interviews that led investigators to identify Sammy Wayne Riley, 53, of La Follette, Tennessee, as the suspect. Riley is a former resident of Scott County.
Busick collected additional DNA samples to strengthen the case and then requested an arrest warrant for Riley.
On Wednesday, a Scott County judge issued the warrant. When investigators learned Riley had returned to Indiana for a family matter, Busick coordinated with the Scott County Sheriff’s Department to arrest him.
Riley was taken into custody without incident on Saturday and booked into the Scott County Jail.
He faces a preliminary charge of rape, accused of committing the crime by using or threatening the use of force.
This article has been carefully fact-checked by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and eliminate any misleading information. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity in our content.
Leave a Reply