Mark Thompson Hunter was arrested on July 15, 2021, for the February 17, 1999 rape and kidnapping of a 19-year-old woman in Escondido, California. A man approached the teenager at a convenience store, asking for directions to a nearby Super 7 Motel. He then followed her in his vehicle, and then he stopped and motioned to her to pull over. As she approached his vehicle, he kidnapped her, dragging her into his vehicle and took her to another location where he sexually assaulted her before driving her back to her vehicle.
The FGG investigation is reported to have proceeded with the assistance of the FBI, although there is as yet no confirmation whether it was the FBI IGU who conducted the genealogical investigation.
Hunter is facing numerous charges involving sexual assault and kidnapping in San Diego County Superior Court.
Sources:
Ash, Allison, and Christina Bravo. “Retested DNA Leads to Arrest in Escondido Kidnap, Rape Case 20+ Years Later. NBC News 7 San Diego, July 15, 2021. Accessed July 25, 2021. https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/retested-dna-leads-to-arrest-in-escondido-kidnap-rape-case-20-years-later/2656833/.
CBSLA Staff. “Police: Mark Thompson Hunter of Hemet Identified Through DNA in 1999 Escondido Rape of 19-Year-Old Woman.” CBS Los Angeles, July 15, 2021. Accessed July 25, 2021. https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2021/07/15/police-mark-thompson-hunter-hemet-identified-dna-1999-escondido-rape-19-year-old-woman/.
McAllister, Toni. “Cold Case Rape, Sodomy: Police Announce Hemet Man’s Arrest.” Patch, July 15, 2021. Accessed July 25, 2021. https://patch.com/california/murrieta/cold-case-rape-sodomy-police-announce-hemet-mans-arrest.