Altemio Sanchez
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Altemio Sanchez | |
|---|---|
 Altemio Sanchez |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name: | Altemio Sanchez |
| Alias(es): | Bike Path Rapist |
| Penalty: | 75 years to life in prison |
| Killings | |
| Number of victims: | 3 (murder), 12-15 (rape) |
| Span of killings: | 1982 through 2006 |
| Country: | USA |
| State(s): | New York |
| Date apprehended: | January 15, 2007 |
Altemio Sanchez is an American serial killer who murdered at least three women and raped at least 14 others in and around Buffalo, New York, over a span of 25 years (1981-2006). He is also known as The Bike Path Rapist. His victims were: Linda Yalem, a sophomore at the University of Buffalo who was killed September 29, 1990;[1] Majane Mazur, murdered in November, 1992; and Joan Diver, who was murdered on September 29, 2006,[2] and whose body was found on a bike path in Newstead, New York, on October 1, 2006. The killer acquired the nickname because many of his crimes took place near secluded bike paths. On May 16, 2007, Sanchez pleaded guilty to the murders of Linda Yalem, Majane Mazur, and Joan Diver.[3]
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[edit] Arrest of Altemio Sanchez
On January 15, 2007, police in Erie County, New York, arrested Sanchez and charged him with the murder of Majane Mazur, a charge to which Sanchez pleaded not guilty. On January 19, 2007, an Erie County grand jury voted to indict Sanchez for the murders of Yalem and Mazur.
Police say DNA found at eight crime scenes matches DNA secretly taken from Sanchez before his arrest.[4]
Many of the rapes attributed to Sanchez will go unprosecuted due to the statute of limitations on the prosecution of rape that was in effect in New York at the time those crimes were committed.[5] He is also a suspect in an ongoing investigation for the murder of a 15-year-old girl in 1985.[6]
On August 15, 2007, Sanchez was sentenced to 75 years in prison with no chance of parole. He is currently being held in the Clinton State Prison; he may be moved to a facility closer to his family if he confesses to further murders.[citation needed]
[edit] Exoneration of Anthony Capozzi
In March 2007, Anthony Capozzi was freed from state prison after serving 22 years for two rapes with a similar modus operandi. After the arrest of Sanchez, investigators realized that the crimes were similar, took place in the same area, and that Sanchez and Capozzi resembled each other. A sample of DNA from Sanchez was linked to the rapes for which Capozzi had been convicted in 1985. Capozzi had maintained his innocence, and was thus denied parole. Capozzi is schizophrenic, and his attorney hopes a civil lawsuit will force the state to provide for his medical care. Recently, State Assemblyman Sam Hoyt and State Senator Dale Volker introduced legislation that would expedite such lawsuits. This bill is known as Anthony's Law.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ Court TV. Article about murder of Linda Yalem and other attacks attributed to her killer (English). Retrieved on January 18, 2007.
- ^ N.Y. Times. Article about arrested suspect Altemio Sanchez (English). Retrieved on January 18, 2007.
- ^ Beebe, Michael (May 17, 2007). For Bike Path Killer, Tears. The Buffalo News. Retrieved on May 18, 2007.
- ^ WGRZ-TV. New details about Bike Path Rapist Arrest (English). Retrieved on January 24, 2007.
- ^ Goodman, Emily Jane. Article about New York's removal of the statute of limitations on rape prosecutions (English). Retrieved on January 20, 2007.
- ^ Beebe, Michael. 15-year-old's murder in 1985 has strong similarities to Bike Path killings; investigators look for link to Sanchez (English). Retrieved on September 24, 2007.
- ^ "After 22 years in prison, man exonerated", CNN, April 2, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-04-02.
