Updated at 5:03 p.m.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Detectives today arrested a 24-year-old Winlock man for a 2007 sexual assault of an 8-year-old girl in a Mossyrock-area campground.
Reginald L. Juntunen was identified through DNA, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
He was in Lewis County Superior Court today on an unrelated matter when he was taken into custody.
The sheriff’s office says the girl was riding her bicycle in the campground when she was approached by a man who said he wanted her to come look at something.
When she came close, he told he had a knife and forced her into a public restroom and assaulted her, according to a news release from the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. He left on foot, the sheriff’s office says.
The report was taken when deputies were called on Sept. 22, 2007 to the campground on the 200 block of Ajlune Road.
Evidence from the scene was sent to the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab and earlier this month the sheriff’s office received notification they identified a suspect through CODIS – the Combined DNA Index System, according to the news release.
Juntunen was booked into the Lewis County Jail for multiple counts related to the incident, including first-degree rape, first-degree rape of a child, first-degree child molestation, first-degree kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment and second-degree assault, according to the sheriff’s office.
“This is an excellent example of the technology that exists today and how we are utilizing it to solve crimes, make arrests and send people to prison,” Sheriff Steve Mansfield stated in the news release. “Without the CODIS System this arrest would not have been possible.”
Nothing in that link says 1,000 people out of 1 million are going to be testing with the same DNA….Did I miss something ??
I’m with you Monkeys Uncle, also if that little girl was eight years old I’m bettin she can give some info also. My Grandchildren were all very observant at that age. My guess that unless she sustained a head injury at the time of the assult she may indeed never forget . Guess we will be hearin more on this. I understand the shock of finding out that people you know and care for can be capable of terrible things is a hard thing to comprehend , and the friends and family take a beating also.
I’m sure Reggie is a swell person. Those three previous felony convictions, and numerous other court cases he has had filed against him in these past few years are probably just aberations.
@Wendy
Sorry for the third comment in a row, but I thought I should also point out that the section in the reply form where it asks you for a website is so you can put a link to your website, not for you to put the name of this website into. Hover your cursor over your name and you will see what I mean.
@Wendy
Here, this might help you understand how it works a little better:
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/publications/bulletins/dna_4_2001/dna8_4_01.html
@Wendy
Wrong again. They test a certain number of different DNA locations, the more they test, the more accurate the results. A pretty safe estimate of accuracy from the reading I did on the subject is 99.9% or 75 out of 75,000 people (the population of Lewis County) testing the same. That’s not even taking into account bugs in the software, faulty equipment, or contamination.
Oh, and just to clarify what I said earlier, what I meant to put was DNA testing USUALLY doesn’t lie. I realized I left out usually even though I meant to type it.
I am sure that meant that he left on foot from the restroom. He was probably camping in the campground. I seriously doubt if he walked to the campground from Winlock or back to Winlock from the campground. As far as the comments that it couldn’t possibly be him…nobody knows what another person is capable of. There are plenty of “nice & normal” people who have been proven to be completely the opposite. Anybody remember Ted Bundy?
so he was on foot? he was from winlock ??? along way to be on foot??
The only way anyone else may “test positive” for the same DNA is if they were family. Even then the lab has specific testing that they have to do to determine which family member it belongs to. If the odds of others testing possible for the “same DNA” is that great it sure as shit wouldn’t hold up in court. Check you facts again !!
@Lala – I don’t know anyone involved nor do I know any more details than I’ve read on this page.
BUT – sad but true that some people really are like that. Even if this man is innocent, there are still many that are guilty that you would NEVER suspect.
@Wendy
DNA testing doesn’t lie but for every 1,000,000 people or so about 1,000 are going to test positive. Which means in Lewis County about 75 people would test positive for raping that girl.
@Lala
Everybody always says that. The nicest people on the outside can easily be some of the most screwed up on the inside.
Thats just SICK!!!!
DNA is DNA !! It doesn’t lie !! If DNA wasn’t used to identify him then yes innocent till proven guilty.
Innocent until proven otherwise…..keep your head up reggie and family
Ive known that man for so many years… I just can’t believe it was him. I can’t and I won’t… Something has got to be wrong.