Man linked to unsolved sexual assault cases through genetic genealogy sentenced to life in prison

A man whose DNA is linked to a series of unsolved sexual assault cases was sentenced to life in prison last week, Dallas County court records show.

Christopher Michael Green, 52, was convicted Friday of aggravated sexual assault for attacking a woman at a bus stop in 2005. According to court records, he is also charged with four other counts of aggravated sexual assault and one count of sexual assault of a child. The attacks between 1999 and 2009 were the subject of allegations.

While deliberating the sentence, the jury heard evidence and testimony about the five other assaults Green is accused of committing.

The Dallas County District Attorney's case relied on DNA evidence. Investigators used known genetic links to get closer to Green and then confirmed his identity with a traditional DNA test that matched samples collected in the six assault cases.

“Predators cannot live with the truth; survivors cannot live without it,” said prosecutor Leighton D'Antoni in his closing argument at the trial. “The truth came out in that courtroom.”

Green's attorney did not respond to a text message seeking comment Tuesday. A spokeswoman for the Dallas County District Attorney's Office declined to comment on the pending cases against Green.

In the early morning of July 6, 2005, Green attacked a young mother at a bus stop on North Ewing Avenue. Green dragged her into a field behind the bus stop, the woman resisted, and Green “stabbed and stabbed” her in the back with a knife. He grabbed her by the hair and slammed her head into the ground, according to the police report.

Green held the knife to her throat and the woman believed she was going to die, an affidavit states. He forced her to perform a sexual act. The Dallas Morning News does not name victims of sexual assault.

The woman told police she eventually escaped and flagged down a motorist for help. She was taken to a hospital where she was examined and police took a DNA sample believed to be from her attacker.

At the time of the attacks, police compared the samples to the national database of known DNA profiles and found no matches. Green's DNA was not in the database because he had not previously been convicted of a crime, the Dallas County District Attorney's Office said in a news release.

Investigators were able to link the unknown DNA sample to known family connections, leading them to Green, prosecutors said. Genetic genealogy is not evidence in court, and investigators tested a cheek swab from Green with DNA collected from the crimes. The DNA matched in all six cases, prosecutors said.

“This type of collaboration, along with advances in DNA analysis, is revolutionizing the way we solve unsolved cases in Dallas County for years to come,” D'Antoni said.

If you are a victim of sexual assault, you can get help by calling the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center’s 24/7 hotline at 972-641-7273 or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673 or online.rainn.org.