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Man Arrested For Rape Of Woman Found Dead 32 Years Ago, Prosecutor’s Office Says

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Kay Smythe News and Commentary Writer
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A man from Millville, New Jersey, was arrested in connection to the sexual assault of a woman who was found dead and partially clothed on the Jersey Shore in May 1990, authorities announced Friday.

Jerry Rosado, 62, was arrested by local law enforcement for allegedly sexually assaulting then-20-year-old Susan Negersmith, according to a press release from Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office. Negersmith was found deceased and partially clothed in the rear storage area near a restaurant in Wildwood about 32 years ago, the release states.

An autopsy found that Negersmith had been sexually assaulted, the release continued. In the 32 years since Negersmith was discovered, an investigation was conducted by law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigations, New Jersey State Police Major Crimes Unit, Wildwood Police Detective Bureau and Major Crimes Unit of the Cape May County Prosecutor’s office, according to the release.

After comparing DNA samples with persons of interest over the years, new technology helped law enforcement to identify Rosado as a suspect in the 32-year-old case, the New York Post reported.

“Countless law enforcement professionals and prosecutors have worked on resolving this case over the last thirty-two years and their collective dedicated effort, in conjunction with the improvements in DNA Technology and Genetic Genealogy Analysis, has led to this long-overdue arrest,” Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland said in the press release.

New forms of DNA testing and tracing have led to a slew of cold cases being solved decades later, such as the murder of 9-year-old Candy Rogers in 1959. (RELATED: Bite Mark Helps Police Identify Murder Suspect From 1994 Cold Case)

Rosado is charged with second-degree sexual assault and faces up to 10 years in New Jersey state prison if convicted, the Cape May County Prosecutor’s office said. Investigators are urging anyone with additional information regarding the case to submit it anonymously using “Cape May County Sheriff’s Tip Line at cmcsheriff.net and click on anonymous tip, or through the Cape May County Crime Stoppers at 609-889-3597 or call the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-465-1135.”