17 years later, man charged in two rapes
By Christopher Baxter, Globe Correspondent
A 35-year-old Dorchester man was arraigned today in Suffolk Superior Court on rape charges dating back to 1991.
The DNA of Jerry Dixon, a resident of the Long Island homeless shelter located on Long Island in Boston Harbor, recently was matched to evidence in four rape cases occurring between 1989 and 1999, prosecutors said.
He was arraigned in two of the four cases today. A third case is still under investigation. The fourth occurred while he was a juvenile so prosecutors said they have not yet decided how to proceed in that case.
In one of the cases, which occurred in 1991, another man was wrongly convicted, prosecutors said. Anthony Powell served more than 12 years before being exonerated by DNA evidence in 2004.
Dixon pleaded not guilty before Clerk Magistrate Connie S. Wong, who ordered him held on $1 million cash bail.
Veronica J. White, Dixon's attorney, said, "We will be doing a rigorous investigation into the DNA evidence."
“No physical distance and no span of years will keep us from seeking justice for the victims of sexual violence,” said District Attorney Daniel F. Conley. “The combination of high technology and old-fashioned detective work, guided by the highest ethical standards, sets the stage for our aggressive prosecution.”
