Man arrested in 2005 rape

Police used DNA evidence to arrest a Selma man charged with the 2005 kidnapping and rape of a 20-year-old female, who was snatched down into a creek embankment while jogging at midday and assaulted repeatedly.

Michael Andrew Barlow, 42, was jailed on $40,000 bond over the weekend after results from the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences revealed his DNA matched samples taken from the victim. Police said he kept the victim for more than five hours before he fled, leaving her in a wooded area.

"We sent off her rape kit, and this is what came back," said Det. Sandra Washburn, holding up correspondence from the lab. She has worked on the case ever since the weekend after Thanksgiving 2005, when the incident occurred. "I'll sleep better knowing he's off the streets."

In Washburn's office an artist's rendering of the victim's description is taped to the wall. In fact, there's a copy in every detective's office on the third floor of the Cecil Jackson Public Safety Building.

The victim had parked her vehicle in the parking lot at Morgan Academy and planned to jog to the City Marina and back. She told police that as she went down Marina Drive her attacker grabbed her and forced her off the road, down into the creek bed. Police said Barlow told the victim he had a weapon and threatened to use it if she screamed.

Police believe the victim had a guardian angel.

"He raped her repeatedly, and was about to rape her again when a deer walked up," Washburn said. "She said he tried to scare the deer off, but it wouldn't leave. He didn't rape her again. I guess he didn't want another set of eyes on him."

Washburn said when investigators went to investigate the scene, the doe walked up to make its presence known. Police discovered an empty cigarette pack and a jacket hanging on a tree at the scene.

"It had to be her guardian angel," Washburn said.