30-year-old Lansing man convicted in 2012 sexual assault cold case
(CBS DETROIT) - A jury found a 30-year-old Lansing man guilty in connection to a cold-case rape investigation.
On Friday, Dec. 1, Marshawn James Curtis was found guilty of first-degree criminal sexual conduct that started with one rape victim in 2012.
According to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, the investigation, which was part of Michigan's Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), led authorities to three other women who say Curtis allegedly followed them in instances that happened between 2018 and 2020.
The women all accused Curtis of masturbating before them after following them.
"This case is one more example of why Michigan's Sexual Assault Kit Initiative is so important for local prosecutor's offices to be able to prosecute cold case sexual assaults," said Prosecutor John Dewane of Ingham County. "Sexual assaults often involve serial offenders and can be difficult to investigate. With specialized training and experience, our SAKI team was able to gather evidence and achieve justice for these survivors. I commend the hard work and dedication of our SAKI team as I believe this conviction has prevented numerous future assaults."
He is scheduled to be sentenced in Ingham County on Feb. 14. Curtis could face life in prison.
"The work of our State's SAKI units is indispensable in securing justice and peace of mind for assault survivors throughout the state, and putting behind bars often-serial offenders who have eluded the criminal justice system for years," said Nessel. "I am grateful for the efforts of the Ingham/Jackson regional team and the Ingham County Prosecutor's office on this case, and proud of the successes our SAKI units statewide accomplish in difficult cold-case prosecutions."
The state established the SAKI units to investigate cases that involved untested sexual assault evidence kits.
