Accused rapist hiding in plain sight for two decades is found in SC, officials say
More than 21 years ago on a neighborhood street in New Jersey, prosecutors say two women were awoken from their beds in the dead of night by a man with a knife.
He disconnected their phone line before terrorizing them, according to officials. Then he disappeared.
But the man accused of conducting what prosecutors described as a “brutal” rape and attempted murder that night left his DNA at the scene. Now more than two decades later, law enforcement say they may have found him 700 miles away in Summerville, South Carolina, just outside of Charleston.
Sanyika L. Adams, 47, was arrested Friday and charged with 19 counts of attempted murder, kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault, among other charges, the Office of the Camden County Prosecutor announced in a news conference.
“We hope this shows all victims that no matter how much time passes, we will not give up,” Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer said in a news release. “This case should serve as a source of hope for others who are victims or know a victim of a cold case. It might take some time, but we will never stop working for justice on these cases.”
According to Mayer, the alleged crime occurred April 15, 1999 on Park Avenue in Somerdale — a township with a current population of roughly 5,000 just over the Delaware River across from Philadelphia.
Police responded to a home in the 400 block at 4:14 a.m., where Mayer said two women detailed the assault.
The first reportedly told investigators that a man had broken in through the back door and woke her up while holding a knife to her throat. Then he demanded money, Mayer said.
The man subsequently tied up, raped and stabbed the second woman “multiple times,” according to officials. When he eventually left, Mayer said the first woman tried to call 911 and discovered the phone lines had been cut. She reportedly ran to a neighbor’s house for help.
“Miraculously, both women survived,” Mayer said.
DNA was collected from the rape victim at the time but no suspect was found, according to the prosecutor’s office. Then in October 2019, the DNA Index System known as “CODIS” found a hit.
Detectives went to South Carolina to interview Adams and collect a more recent sample of his DNA, Mayer said. On Nov. 25, the New Jersey State Police lab confirmed it was a match to the crime scene.
Adams was arrested in Summerville on Friday and is awaiting extradition to New Jersey.
This story was originally published December 4, 2020 at 5:13 PM.
