Durham Man Convicted of 2018 Rape, Assaults
NEWS RELEASE
February 3, 2023
For immediate release
Durham Man Convicted of 2018 Rape, Assaults
DURHAM, NC — The Durham County District Attorney’s Office obtained convictions at trial in a 2018 rape charged through Durham’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative.
A jury found Edil Rodriguez (18CRS051826;18CRS051827) guilty on all counts:
- First-degree forcible rape, a Class B1 felony
- First-degree kidnapping, a Class C felony
- Assault by strangulation, a Class H felony
- Assault inflicting serious bodily injury, a Class F felony
- Assault on a female, a Class A1 misdemeanor
- Assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, a Class E felony.
Verdicts were returned on February 2 after a nearly two-week trial. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Angela Garcia-Lamarca with support from legal assistant LaShanda Sowell. ADA Garcia-Lamarca works directly with the Durham Police Department’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit to review and prosecute cases as previously untested sexual assault evidence kits are submitted for DNA testing.
Evidence presented at trial included photographs of the survivor’s extensive injuries, DNA test results, and body camera footage. According to testimony, the survivor and a friend had interacted with the defendant while out at clubs on March 4, 2018. After leaving a North Durham club, they gave the defendant a ride. They were driving on Interstate 85 when the defendant forced the friend out of the moving vehicle, causing wounds to her side. He then drove the survivor to a park where he beat and strangled her to the point of losing consciousness and raped her.
Both victims, the defendant, and multiple experts testified, including the sexual assault nurse examiner who assisted the survivor after the assault, the analyst who performed DNA testing of the sexual assault evidence kit, and an ophthalmologist who treated a blowout fracture to the survivor’s eye.
The Durham DA’s Office and Police Department have worked together since 2019 to bring closure to cases brought through the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative. In that time, the DA’s Office has obtained convictions against nine defendants including Rodriguez, in connection with 12 sexual assaults going back to 2005.
Superior Court Judge Brian Wilks presided. Sentencing in the case will occur at a later date pending a sex offender evaluation. (7/3/24 update: Rodriguez was sentenced to a minimum of 27.4 years to a maximum of 43.75 years in prison.)
The Durham DA’s Office thanks the survivors in this case for their courageous testimony, the Durham Police Department and the experts who testified for their diligent work, and the jury for their thoughtful consideration.
The Durham County District Attorney’s Office employs about 40 people, including prosecutors, administrators, victim service coordinators, legal assistants, and support staff. The Office is led by District Attorney Satana Deberry, who took office on January 1, 2019. The Office represents the State in all criminal cases in Durham County. Find more information about the role of the district attorney on the Durham DA’s Office Medium page.
