A former Border Patrol agent, 57-year-old John Daly III, has been arrested on suspicion of committing a string of rapes in Arizona that date back 22 years after his first suspected offense.
Daly was apprehended by officers in Sierra Vista on Tuesday and is in custody after the Mesa Police Department, using DNA technology, identified him as the East Valley Rapist.
DNA technology helped Mesa police crack a cold case that is more than two decades old and track down the suspect known as “the East Valley Rapist.” Between July 1999 – October 2001, Mesa Police investigated a series of sexual assaults that occurred in Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, and Bisbee. The eight cases were connected by similar suspect behavior and three of the cases (Mesa, Gilbert, and Bisbee) were matched by DNA.
According to police, no viable leads were developed at that time.
In February, with the utilization of SAKI (Sexual Assault Kit Initiative) funding, investigative efforts produced the name of John Daly III. A historical check showed Daly had lived near each of the sexual assaults during the time they occurred. In April 2021, DNA linked Daly to two of the sexual assaults; one Mesa and one Gilbert case.
Officers from Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, and Bisbee Police Departments investigated the cases together, making connections through interviews and collecting evidence. The FBI assisted in recent months by providing analytical, investigative, and support resources. In addition, Border Patrol cooperated and supported in the investigation.
Daly was taken into custody in Sierra Vista on May 4, 2021. He was booked on charges related to three of the eight cases. Bisbee Police Department will submit charges for its case, and police say the other four cases require additional investigative efforts before charges are added
Authorities are urging the public if you or someone you know may have additional information regarding Daly, please call the Mesa Police Department at 480-644-2211.
Below lists the details of the cases for which he is charged:
- On Nov. 25, 1999, a 21-year-old woman was attacked at a home near Harris and Baseline in Mesa. Police say Daly entered through an unlocked front door, blindfolded the victim and committed sexual assault, kidnapping and sexual abuse.
- On Oct. 19, 1999 a 32-year-old woman was attacked at a home near Houston and Cooper in Gilbert. Police say Daly entered through open bathroom window, blindfolded the woman and committed kidnapping, burglary and sexual abuse.
- On Nov. 3, 2000, a 35-year-old woman was attacked at a home near Greenfield and Elliott in Gilbert. Police say Daly entered through a broken window, blindfolded the woman and committed sexual assault, kidnapping, burglary and sexual abuse.
