LIMA — The trial date for a man whose DNA led to his arrest in several rape cases from more than 12 years ago was assigned a new trial date for May 9.
Lonny Lee agreed to waive his right to a speedy trial to allow his new attorney, Jerome Doute, more time to prepare his case. A motion hearing is scheduled for Feb. 18 to consider a photo lineup police held with the alleged victims. Lee wants to suppress the lineup, which investigators used to also identify him.
The DNA match was made while Lee was in Kansas, which will require officials from that state to be part of his trial in Lima. After the DNA match, Lima Police Department detectives showed three women a photo lineup and all three picked out Lee as the man who raped them.
The women were severely beaten or choked, and raped. The first happened in 2001 on the back steps of an apartment in the 700 block of South Main Street. The next two rapes were in 2002 involving the same victim. That woman was caught in an alley near Eureka and South Main streets in one, and in the other the woman was taken to a remote area off South Metcalf Street across from the refinery, police officials said.
The 2003 rape happened at the Royal Inn on West Market Street.
Lee became a suspect in 2014 after he was arrested for felony drunken driving. His DNA was taken, which led to the match in Lima on the rape cases that had DNA of an unknown assailant.
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