Durham man charged with rape in 1991 sexual assault
Durham police have reached a huge milestone in a 32-year-old cold case.
The department has arrested and charged Kenneth Lunsford in connection to a sexual assault from 1991. Lunsford was charged with first-degree burglary, first-degree rape, and attempted first-degree sexual offense. Lunsford is 60 years old and resides in Durham.
The arrest stems from an incident that occurred on July 27, 1991. Police said a woman reported that a man broke into her home near the intersection of Clarendon Street and Green Street and sexually assaulted her.
Decades later, police were able to link Lunsford to the assault through the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI). Lunsford’s DNA matched with evidence from the sexual assault kit from the case.
On Aug. 17, 2023, Lunsford was taken into custody. He's being held in the Durham County Jail under a $1.5 million secured bond.
Anyone with information is asked to call Investigator H. Brown at (919) 560-4440, ext. 29461 or CrimeStoppers at (919) 683-1200. CrimeStoppers pays cash rewards of up to $2,000 for information leading to arrest in felony cases and callers never have to identify themselves.
