TOPEKA (KSNT) – A man has been convicted on Wednesday in relation to a 2003 violent sexual assault that had remained unsolved until 2020.
The office of the Shawnee County District Attorney said that Pernell Adam Mack Jr. was convicted at the end of a three day trial. Mack will be sentenced during a later hearing that has yet to be scheduled. The jury returned a verdict of guilty on the following counts:
- Rape
- Aggravated criminal sodomy
- Aggravated kidnapping
- Aggravated robbery
- Aggravated burglary
On April 16, 2003, law enforcement were sent to to a Topeka residence in reference to a home invasion and sexual assault. Deputies made contact with an adult female at the address upon arrival. She reported that she came home at 3:40 a.m. that morning and when she went into her home she was grabbed from behind and put into a choke hold.
She reported that two subjects were present and one put a gun to her head while the other removed cash and other items from her person. She was then “pistol whipped” before the two subjects forcibly sexually assaulted her. The pair then forced her to shower before eventually leaving the home.
She called 911 and was taken to the hospital for an evaluation and treatment. Deputies processed the crime scene and found evidence but had no leads on the identity of who was responsible. However, on Feb. 14, 2020, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation notified the Sheriff that they had found a match from the combined DNA Index System that identified Pernell Adam Mack Jr. as the contributor of the DNA found at the crime scene.
The Sheriff’s Office found Mack and obtained a DNA sample from him that confirmed the match. Charges were later filed against him by the Office of the District Attorney on April 2, 2020.
