Jury Convicts Former Lawrence Resident of 1997 Rape

Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson announced today Robert E. Grey, 41, formerly of Lawrence was convicted at the re-trial of the 1997 rape case of a then University of Kansas student. The case was originally tried in 2009, but was reversed by the Kansas Court of Appeals in 2012.

This 1997 cold case originally had new life breathed into it in 2007 when a fingerprint hit was made from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation’s Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) from a print left on the victim’s car. With information stemming from this match, a search warrant was executed that allowed the Lawrence Police Department to obtain DNA from Grey. When DNA from Grey was compared to DNA obtained from the rape kit, a match was made.

The re-trial began Thursday, May 1 and the case was presented throughout the next week. Closing arguments were delivered late morning into the early afternoon of Thursday, May 8 when the case went to the jury at approximately 1:30 p.m. The jury deliberated the remainder of the day and returned to resume deliberations this morning. They reached a verdict at approximately 12:30 p.m.

Depending on his criminal history, Grey faces 147 to 653 months in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20 at 9:00 a.m.

The Honorable Michael J. Malone presided over the case. It was investigated by the Lawrence Police Department and it was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Eve Kemple and Assistant District Attorney Mark Simpson.

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