1995 sex assault cracked by Calgary police cold case team

The cold case team with the Calgary Police Service sex crime unit has laid charges in connection to a 19-year-old sexual assault case.

On July 12, 1995, a woman woke up in the middle of the night to find a masked man standing over her and her husband with a knife.It happened in a home on the 1300 block of 69th Street S.W.

The culprit tied up the husband in another room, then demanded money from the woman before sexually assaulting her and her 15-year-old daughter.

The husband escaped to a neighbours house and called police.

"There was an eye witness who came forwardthat saw someone leaving the scene. He was identified through that. We didn't have enough evidence at the time," said Staff Sgt. Bev Voros.

Police say advancements in DNA andforensic investigation technology made the difference.

"He gave consensual DNA.At that time there were no hits with any of the exhibits we had. Through my detectives in cold case working on this file they sent away exhibit after exhibit and finally we got a DNA hit," said Voros.

A 51-year-old man from Whitecourt, Alta., was arrested on Tuesday in Innisfail, roughly 120 kilometres north of Calgary, in connection with the 1995 attacks.

Jack William Kramerfaces numerous charges including sexual assault with a weapon, forcible confinement and wearing a mask in the commission of an offence.

Also arrested for2002 attempted murder

He is also accused of attempted murder in connection with a violent robbery at a bottle depot in Fort McMurray in January 2002, RCMP said.

In that incident, an employee suffered life-threatening stab wounds during a struggle with a knife-wielding masked robber.

Calgary police thanked the RCMP for their assistance in the joint investigations.