A Virginia man was sentenced to life in prison in Arlington County Circuit Court for a series of 1991 cold-case rapes.
The four attacks on women near the East Falls Church Metro station in January, February and March 1991.
Michael F. Thomson, 65, of Montross, got life in prison on one count of rape, 50 years on a second count of rape, 10 years with eight suspended on one count of attempted abduction with intent to defile and two years each on two counts of possession of a firearm in the commission of the rapes when he was sentenced Friday.
Arlington Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage said the cold-case unit started a fresh look into it in 2017.
“Through that process, we were able to collect DNA evidence and link DNA evidence together,” Savage said. That eventually allowed them to identify Thomson as the suspect.
Investigators used phenotyping and genetic genealogy to link the Northern Neck man to the crimes, the police said when they made the arrest 29 years after the crimes occurred.
She said Thomson was in the Arlington area in 1991.
Savage added that Arlington police “never wavered in our commitment to seeking justice on behalf of these victims.”
“And this sentence should send a strong message to the community that we will continue to work and use all available resources to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.”
Thomson was originally arrested at his home Dec. 1, 2020, and remained in custody.
“Everybody that lives in our community should be able to walk safely home. This individual targeted women as they were walking home from a Metro station; he used a firearm to instill fear in them and ultimately committed violent attacks against them,” Savage said. “We are proud of the work that our cold case unit did.”
WTOP’s John Domen contributed to this report.
