Lunenburg man identified, arraigned in 10-year-old Acton train station rape case

A Massachusetts man is facing a felony charge for allegedly raping a woman at an MBTA station in 2013, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan announced Tuesday. 

Christopher Aldrich, 28, of Lunenburg, was arraigned Tuesday on a charge of aggravated rape stemming from an incident at South Acton station. Aldridge was located in what authorities are calling a one in three sextillion (1 in 3,000,000,000,000,000,000,000) DNA match.

On June 18, 2013, Aldrich allegedly threatened a 22-year-old victim with a knife, raped her, and fled on foot, the DA said. The victim issued a 911 call to Acton police, and was transported to a local hospital. At the time, no security cameras were installed at the station, Ryan said. 

A DNA profile was created from a rape kit, but over 8 years, no match was found, Ryan said. In November 2022, Aldrich was involved in a one-car collision when his Ford Crown Victoria struck a utility pole on School Street in Acton. Police collected a DNA sample from the items in his car, which matched the profile. 

A warrant was issued for Aldrich’s arrest late last week, Ryan said. He was arraigned in Concord District Court Tuesday, during which he was ordered held without bail after a dangerousness hearing. Aldrich will appear in court again on March 22.

In Tuesday’s news conference, Ryan was joined by state, local, and MBTA police, as well as the executive director of The Center for Hope and Healing in Lowell.

Ryan said authorities have remained in communication with the victim “over time,” and she received the news with “relief and gratitude.”

“We do not give up on these cases,” Ryan said. “The arsenal of tools we have continues to grow.”