Michael Benjamin, 57, was arrested Thursday after DNA from a cup he left at a Georgia sheriff’s office matched evidence from five violent rapes in southeast Queens in the mid‑1990s. The arrest brings fresh attention to a series of brutal assaults that shocked the community in 1995‑1997.
Benjamin is a resident of Conyers, Georgia. Police had collected his DNA earlier in 2025 and compared it to samples collected from the rape scenes. When the match was confirmed, he was extradited to New York, where he booked on charges that include first‑degree rape, first‑degree sodomy, first‑degree sexual assault and first‑degree burglary.
The alleged crimes began in July 1995, when Benjamin broke into a 24‑year‑old woman’s home near 113th Road and 194th Street in St. Albans. He reportedly covered her head with a sheet and raped her, then fled with her cash and jewelry. Over the next two years, he is said to have entered homes on 140th Avenue, 27th Street, 131st Street, Hook Creek Boulevard, 241st Street, and 136th Avenue. In some cases, victims were threatened with a gun or forced to stay under threat while he broke into their homes, stole items and sometimes threatened family members with violence.
Benjamin has a Level 3 sex‑offender rating due to a 1990 conviction for an attempted rape. He was pre‑indicted as a “John Doe” in 2002, preventing the statute of limitations from running out. His lawyer, Joseph Amsel, argues that the pre‑indiction should not affect a case that happened over 30 years ago, but prosecutors remain firm that the charges are timely.
In court, Benjamin claimed he was innocent, shouting “I didn’t do this!” as reporters waited for the court docket. The prosecutor, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, said the case would go to trial on December 5. “It’s never too late for justice,” Katz told reporters. “Thanks to the victims’ bravery and the DNA evidence, we can finally hold the perpetrator accountable.”
If convicted of the top counts, Michael Benjamin could face up to 25 years behind bars. The case reminds us that cold cases can be solved with modern technology, and that victims and justice can still prevail even after many years.
Source: New York Post
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
