Man pleads guilty to rape of teen girl in decades-old Cambridge cold case, DA says

A man previously charged in a decades-old rape case of a 13-year-old girl pleaded guilty in court, authorities announced on Tuesday.

Roger W. Reddick Jr., 41, of Cambridge, pleaded guilty to three counts of rape of a child with force.

The Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office has been searching for Reddick for 23 years, after they say he broke into the teenage victim’s Cambridge home on October 18, 2000, and sexually assaulted her.

Associate Justice James Budreau sentenced Reddick Jr. to 10-12 years in state prison, with 3 years of probation to be served after the sentence.

“For twenty-three years, the victim in this case has lived with the mystery of who came into her bedroom and violently sexually assaulted her,” Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said. “Today, that woman, now thirty-seven years old and living outside of Massachusetts, had the opportunity to hear the defendant admit to what he had done to her.  She was able, through her statement to the Court, to describe the impact of these events and the defendant’s actions on her life.”

Reddick Jr. reportedly entered the victim’s room, covered her mouth with his hand, and ordered her to be quiet. During the ensuing sexual assault, he asked the victim how old she was. The victim was eventually able to escape and ran out of the bedroom, screaming for help. Reddick Jr. ran from the home and responding officers were unable to locate him.

Investigators were, however, able to recover a fingerprint from a jewelry box inside the home, a pair of green men’s boxer shorts, and work boots.

In 2009, police were able to identify the fingerprint as belonging to Reddick Jr., but officials say they didn’t have sufficient corroboration to charge him.

In September 2022, the DA’s Cold Case Unit began a renewed examination of the case and identified Reddick Jr.’s as the source of the DNA profile on the green boxers.

He was arrested on March 30, 2023, and has been in police custody since then.

“This is an example of how dogged detective work and diligent prosecution can ensure justice and provide accountability,” said Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow. “We will always be here for survivors and will never give up trying to find and prosecute the people behind such a horrific crime.”

At the time of the offense, Reddick Jr. was a resident of the City of Cambridge who lived less than a half mile from the scene of the crime. He had no known connection to the victim or her family.

“his case exemplifies our commitment to continuing to work on uncharged cases, to employing new technological advances and to collaborating with investigators and scientists to identify and hold accountable perpetrators,” DA Ryan said. “Even though decades have passed, Roger Reddick has now been held accountable for his conduct.”

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