Man Accused of Raping Unconscious Teen Due in Court Next Week

| March 29, 2020

CRANBERRY TWP., Pa. (EYT) – A Franklin man who is accused of raping an unconscious 15-year-old girl is scheduled to appear in court this week.

Court documents indicate 35-year-old Ronald Arnold Blair Jr. is scheduled to stand for a preliminary hearing in front of Magisterial District Judge Patrick E. Lowrey at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1, on the following charges:

– Rape Unconscious Victim, Felony 1
– Sexual Assault, Felony 2
– Indecent Assault Person Unconscious, Misdemeanor 2

The charges stem from an investigation that has been ongoing for nearly twenty years.

According to a criminal complaint, the incident occurred between July 11, 2001, and July 12, 2001, in a wooded area off Upper Sage Run Road in Cranberry Township, Venango County, after a known female victim became intoxicated and passed out.

According to the complaint, while the victim was unconscious, Ronald Arnold Blair Jr. allegedly engaged in intercourse with her.

The complaint states that during the course of an investigation, several pieces of evidence were collected including clothing and a sexual assault kit from the victim, who was 15 years old at the time of the incident. The evidence was sent to the Pennsylvania State Police Erie Regional Laboratory for analysis.

According to the complaint, the analysis revealed the presence of semen in the two pairs of underwear the victim had worn, and samples were taken for DNA analysis.

There were several men identified as being at the party the victim was attending, including Blair.

Three of the men had DNA testing done with negative results, and several attempts were made to get DNA from Blair, with no result, according to the complaint.

Blair was interviewed regarding the rape of the victim and denied any sexual contact with her, the complaint states.

According to the complaint, on July 18, 2019, Franklin-based State Police received a supplemental DNA report from the State Police Forensic DNA Division in Greensburg which indicated that due to a CODIS search, Blair could not be eliminated as an investigative lead in this case.

On July 24, 2019, the victim was interviewed at her residence and indicated she wanted to continue the investigation. She reportedly stated Blair could have been the person who raped her, according to the complaint.

Trooper Johnson of the Franklin-based State Police then learned that Blair was incarcerated in the Jefferson County Jail on December 9, 2019, and on December 10, 2019, a warrant was issued to obtain DNA from Blair. Two buccal swabs of DNA were then taken from Blair and transferred to the Pennsylvania State Police Forensic DNA Division for analysis, according to the complaint.

Results from the Forensic DNA Division were received on March 11, 2020, which confirmed the DNA obtained from Blair matched the sample collected from the victim’s underwear, the complaint indicates.

The charges were filed through Magisterial District Judge Patrick E. Lowrey’s office on Wednesday, March 18.

A warrant was issued for Blair’s arrest.

Blair was arraigned in front of Judge Lowrey at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 19.


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