D.C. FBI Announces Intense Media Blitz to Catch “Potomac River Rapist” From the 90s

By Allan Lengel

ticklethewire.com

Using media and social media as it did to help capture Boston mobster James “Whitey” Bulger earlier this year, the FBI field office in D.C. announced plans this week to to go after the “Potomac River Rapist”, believed to be responsible for eight sexual assaults, one attempted one and one murder between 1991 to 1998.

The FBI announced a $25,000 reward, plus an intense media campaign to try and heat up the cold case. Authorities linked the multiple crimes through DNA.

“The digital media campaign includes the launch of a dedicated website; digital billboards up and down the East Coast; social media alerts on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube; as well as podcasts on iTunes and radio spots to raise awareness of the investigation,” an FBI press release said.

“The multi-pronged effort is designed to develop new leads and raise awareness of the ongoing cold-case investigation. The campaign implements similar techniques that have led to the arrests in cases including the East Coast Rapist as well as Ten Most Wanted fugitive Whitey Bulger.”

The FBI said that one of the victims, Christine Mirzayan, a 29-year-old intern, was sexually attacked and murdered while walking to her residence in Georgetown on Aug. 1, 1998. The rest of the sexual assaults took place in Montgomery County, just outside of D.C.

“In law enforcement, we understand that justice delayed does not mean that justice will be denied,” D.C. U.S Attorney Ronald C. Machen, Jr. said in a statement. “We are committed to obtaining justice for Christine Mirzayan and the other victims of the Potomac River Rapist, but we need the public’s help. One piece of information from the public—no matter how insignificant it might seem—could crack this case and allow us to apprehend this killer.”

See website on the Potomac River Rapist