A man suspected of sexually assaulting nine women in Northern California was convicted on all 46 charges against him on Wednesday.
Roy Charles Waller, 60, stoked fears as the notorious “NorCal Rapist,” primarily targeting younger Asian women in six counties across the area, including cities like Chico and Sacramento.
Waller, who worked as a safety specialist at the University of California, Berkeley attacked nine women between 1991 and 2006. He learned his victims’ names, studied their movement, broke into their homes and tied them up.
He also stole their personal belongings. In some cases, he forced his victims to withdraw money from ATMs, according to the Associated Press.
Waller had a collection of sexual images depicting bound Asian women. His victims barely spoke English.
“It was heartbreaking, tear-dropping what them young ladies had to go through,” one juror said, according to NBC News. “It’s just terrible the way he prowled on them young ladies. They didn’t speak good English. They come to America figuring they’re going to make a better life and then all of this has to happen to them.”
Police identified Waller through his DNA, which was present in almost all the crime scenes.
“DNA technology is the greatest tool given to the justice system to exonerate the innocent and convict the guilty,” Sacramento County Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Grippi said in a statement. “Justice in this case was a long time in the making. However, law enforcement officers and detectives involved in the investigation never stopped searching for the truth. Through their dogged efforts and the advent of IGG (Investigative Genetic Genealogy) that truth has come to fruition.”
Nicole Earnest-Payte, Waller’s first known victim, said that she feels “amazing” after 29 years. She is also grateful to everyone involved.
“A lot of work went into solving this case,” Earnest-Payte said, according to the Sacramento Bee. “It’s a good day.”
Waller was arrested in September 2018. While being questioned, he tried to hang himself with the string of his hooded sweatshirt, as seen in a surveillance video.
The prosecution argued that Waller’s suicide attempt could be interpreted as an admission of guilt. In response, the defense dismissed the theory and sought a “not guilty” verdict, according to KCRA.
Waller was found guilty of rape, sodomy and kidnapping charges. He is expected to receive a life imprisonment sentence on Dec. 18.
Feature Images via Sacramento Police Department (left) and Anthony Leong (right; screenshot)
