By C1 Staff
DENVER – A man whose DNA cracked a 1997 cold case was sentenced to 144 years in prison on Monday.
9news reports that Ray Ojeda was convicted in the attempted murder, kidnapping and sexual assault of a teenage girl.
He was found guilty of attempted first-degree murder, second-degree kidnapping and first-degree sexual assault for holding a 15-year-old girl who was walking home at gunpoint and sexually assaulting her in a secluded area.
He then shot her in the head and threw her in a nearby river. Despite her injuries, the girl was abel to walk to a nearby road and flag down help.
Ojeda received 48 years in prison for each count. He was connected to the case after he was convicted of a felony marijuana charge in Texas; his DNA was submitted to the CODIS database and matched DNA taken from the victim after the sexual assault.
This match exonerated two men who had been identified as possible suspects in the case before.