What to Know
- A 59-year-old man was charged for the sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl during a 1996 home invasion in New Jersey after detectives used DNA evidence to solve the 25-year-old cold case, authorities announced Friday.
- Brian Lee Avis, 59, of Egg Harbor City, was arrested Monday by the New Jersey State Police and Brigantine Police Department, and charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child under 13 years old, sexual assault of a child under 13 years old, burglary, and endangering the welfare of child, the state police department said.
- Allegedly, an individual broke into the residence in the middle of the night and sexually assaulted a 10-year-old girl while she was sleeping. When the victim woke up, the individual fled the scene. DNA was taken from the scene. Twenty-five years later, a match was found, authorities said.
A 59-year-old man was charged for the sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl during a 1996 home invasion in New Jersey after detectives used DNA evidence to solve the 25-year-old cold case, authorities announced Friday.
Brian Lee Avis, 59, of Egg Harbor City, was arrested Monday by the New Jersey State Police and Brigantine Police Department, and charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child under 13 years old, sexual assault of a child under 13 years old, burglary, and endangering the welfare of child, the state police department said.
Avis' charges are in connection to a sexual assault that took place on East Evans Boulevard in Brigantine City on July 19, 1996, according to the state police.
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Allegedly, an individual broke into the residence in the middle of the night and sexually assaulted a 10-year-old girl while she was sleeping. When the victim woke up, the individual fled the scene.
Detectives collected evidence at the scene and obtained a DNA sample from the victim’s bed. The suspect's DNA profile had been generated in 2002 and was added to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), which is a national DNA collection database. However, at that time, there were no CODIS matches for the profile.
According to authorities, during the summers of 1995 and 1996, there were about 14 reported incidents of an individual engaging in voyeuristic behavior and attempted sexual assaults of two sleeping teenage girls in the Brigantine area. When the investigation was renewed, investigators determined that the suspect lived in the vicinity, but he was never identified, and the cases remained unsolved.
In January of 2021, detectives from the New Jersey State Police Cold Case Unit and Brigantine Police Department jointly reopened the case. Detectives began working with the New Jersey State Police Office of Forensic Sciences (OFS) and a private company specializing in Investigative Genetic Genealogy, known as IGG. Subsequently, a more robust DNA sample for the suspect was obtained.
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On July 26, detectives submitted the DNA to a private laboratory for analysis. Through various investigative means, detectives identified Avis as the suspect.
On Sept. 12, detectives located Avis and escorted him to the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office, where they executed a search warrant for his DNA, according to authorities. Detectives obtained the sample which was submitted for forensic analysis. It was a positive match to the DNA obtained at the scene.
“The sanctity and security of a 10-year-old girl’s bedroom was violated by a heinous act committed 25 years ago, violently stripping her of her innocence resulting in emotional scars that are as fresh today as they were that fateful summer night in 1996,” said Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “I commend our Cold Case Unit detectives and members of the Brigantine Police Department for reopening this case and working collaboratively by using modern technology to bring justice and closure for the victim.”
Brigantine Police Department Chief Rich Casamento said the fact that the DNA evidence was preserved for decades and led to Avis' arrest is a testament to the diligent detective work.
"First I want to thank the original Brigantine Police detectives who did a great job collecting and preserving the evidence 25 years ago. That evidence was preserved for 25 years and was able to still be used after all this time. It is a testament to their diligent detective work and the evidence custodians over the years who maintained and preserved the evidence for 25 years,” Casamento said.
New Jersey Acting Attorney Andrew Buck called the work done by the authorities involved as "outstanding."
“No matter how long ago a crime occurred, we are committed to ensuring those who break the law are held accountable,” said Acting Attorney General Andrew J. Bruck. “I want to recognize the outstanding job by all law enforcement officers involved in the review and reinvestigation of this case. Their persistence in the search for justice reflects the very best of our law enforcement profession.”
Attorney information for Avis was not immediately known.
