Credit: APD/DA's Office
Nearly two years ago, during work to clear the rape kit backlog, Albuquerque investigators and forensic experts used forensic genetic genealogy to link Edward Gilbert Duran to a 1997 rape in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Since then, Duran has been charged with five additional sexual assaults committed in the 1990s—with the possibility of more.
In the latest, Duran was indited on Monday in connection with three assaults, adding to the three he is already being charged with.
The 1997 rape
On July 7, 1997, a woman called 911 to report that she had been raped in her apartment in Northeast Albuquerque. She reported a man forced his way into her home, held her at knife point, and raped her. Afterward, he made her shower and stole her briefcase containing her credit card and driver’s license. A rape kit was peformed after the victim was transferred to the hospital, but it sat untested on a shelf at the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) for decades.
Eventually, the nationwide rape kit backlog was brought to light and the federal government created initiatives and funding to address the problem. The Albuquerque Police Department received some of this funding in 2018 and began working their way through clearing the backlog (a feat they would accomplish in February 2021.)
During backlog testing, an unknown man’s DNA hit to 8 unsolved sexual assaults in Albuquerque in the mid and late 1990s, including the victim in the 1997 case. DNA from that rape kit was sent to BODE for forensic genetic genealogy testing.
In November 2021, BODE genealogists gave the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office and APD their first lead on the case: the DNA and genealogy pointed to Edward Gilbert Duran as the suspect.
Just days later, APD collected a discarded fork Duran had used from the trash of an Albuquerque restaurant. The fork was sent to BODE for comparison to the 1997 rape kit DNA evidence—and it was a match.
Investigators arrested Duran on Dec. 21, 2021 on first-degree criminal sexual penetration charges.
More cases
Although Duran’s DNA hit to other cold cases, at the time of the 2021 arrest, detectives were still working to contact victims to move their cases forward.
In 2022, the alleged assaults that occurred on Oct. 24, 1993, and Jan. 16, 1994, were joined together with the 1997 case. Duran is scheduled to go on trial Fall 2023 for those. And now, as of Monday, Duran faces new charges stemming from sexual assaults that happened on Aug. 31, 1992, Oct. 5, 1992, and Jan. 19, 1993.
Prior convictions
Duran was on probation when he allegedly committed the rapes in the newest set of charges brought against him.
In fact, his first conviction came in 1979 for criminal sexual penetration in the 3rd degree, as well as aggravated burglary. He was sentenced to 10-50 years for the burglary and 2-10 years for the assault. Duran served six months before he was released for good behavior and credit served.
He was arrested again in 1989 for intent to commit a violent felony and—again—criminal sexual penetration in the 3rd degree. He was sentenced to 3 years in 1991, but served only 6 months with 2.6 years of probation following his release.
In 1995, he was arrested and convicted for battery of a household member, as well as auto burglary.
At the time of his multiple arrests, there was no mandatory process to collect DNA samples, so his DNA was never entered into the CODIS database.
Even now, after he has been indicted regarding six separate rapes, investigators say there could be more. While the DNA from 8 rape kits is pretty clear on which rapes were allegedly committed by Duran, investigators say they are still concerned about others—the assaults that were never reported in the first place.