Va. Rapist Convicted, Police Credit DNA Database

WASHINGTON -- A rapist who preyed on Northern Virginia women could spend the rest of his life in prison after a hit on the DNA database last November.

A realtor said she was held at gunpoint and raped as she worked at a Woodbridge open house in 1995.

Kenneth Bedard, 42, of Spotsylvania County was found guilty Monday in Prince William County, and his victim spoke to News4's Julie Carey Tuesday about finally seeing her attacker brought to justice.

"They caught the rapist, and I immediately started crying," the victim said.

The call from a Prince William County cold case detective came 10 years and one month after the 37-year-old was terrorized and raped as she worked inside a model home sales office. The attacker posed as a customer.

"When he had that gun to my head, I was shocked and he spun me around and had me get on the floor. My only thought was he's going to shoot me in the back of the head -- this is it," the victim said.

Police said they worked aggressively to find the attacker. They said they stopped cars and passed out flyers. The victim left the real estate business and left the area. She said she almost gave up hope of an arrest.

Kenneth Bedard was arrested in Spotsylvania County in 2001 for the malicious wounding of his wife. He was convicted in 2002 and as required by Virginia law, his DNA sample was taken.

"That sample was sent to the Virginia forensic lab. The lab then entered in the database, a national database, where the hit came through," said John Bogart of Prince William County Police.

Detectives were notified of the hit last November and Bedard was indicted for two rapes. He also raped a 13-year-old Manassas girl in February of 2000.

"That was the hardest part is that he'd done it to her, and he had gone after child," the victim said.

The victim faced her attacker in court Monday and said she found a decade of anger and anxiety lifted.

"I just sat there and stared at him like, how -- what is going through your mind that you could do this to people. Then when I heard his voice it was just, after all these years they finally have you, and you didn't get away with it. There's a lot of joy in that," the victim said.

Police credit the DNA database as an invaluable crime-solving tool.

Kenneth Bedard has been sentenced to 50 years for the rape of the teenager.