Arrest made in 2001 cold case; Raleigh police say suspect was caught in Virginia

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A nearly quarter-century-old cold case came to a close with an arrest made in Virginia, the Raleigh Police Department announced Friday.

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According to Raleigh police, the investigation began in December 2001 in the 7000 block of Mourning Dove Road when officers responded to a call about a sex crime being committed.

Investigators said the suspect held a man and a woman at gunpoint before he forced them to undress and then sexually assaulted the woman. The suspect took off from the scene.

Raleigh police identified Reginald Taylor as the suspect in the case.

During the investigation, detectives found that a sexual assault in Charlotte that same year closely matched the one that happened in Raleigh. According to detectives, the Charlotte crime also involved a suspect holding two people at gunpoint and then committing the assault.

Raleigh police said evidence from the Charlotte crime scene had been preserved and submitted to the Department of Justice State Crime Lab so advanced forensics testing could be done, along with DNA testing.

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On May 8, 2026, almost 25 years after the two crimes occurred, Raleigh police said a breakthrough had been made that linked Taylor to both crimes.

Arrest warrants were then issued for Taylor, and Raleigh police said members of the U.S. Marshals Service and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia were able to locate and arrest Taylor.

Taylor is being charged with the following:

• First-degree rape
• Two counts of first-degree kidnapping
• Two counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon
• Fire-degree sexual offense
• Possession of a firearm by a felon

“The Raleigh Police Department extends its sincere appreciation to the United States Marshals Service and Orange County Sheriff’s Office for their crucial assistance, vigilance, and swift action in locating and apprehending Taylor, bringing a long-awaited resolution to a multi-decade investigation,” Raleigh police wrote in a statement.

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