How genetic genealogy helped crack the ‘Sorority Rapist’ case

The crimes were heinous: sorority sisters in their 50s and 60s raped in their own homes.

For years, these cases remained unsolved until new DNA technology reignited the pursuit of justice.

Just last week, a man known as the ‘Sorority Rapist’ was handed a life sentence in a Collin County courtroom.

Jeffrey Wheat’s conviction came over two decades after his initial known victim, who wasn’t associated with a sorority, and more than ten years after three Delta Sigma Theta alumnae were assaulted in their residences.

“We wouldn’t have cracked it, I’m pretty certain, without genetic genealogy,” stated retired Plano Police CSI Unit Manager Rick Staub.

Genetic genealogy, the same technology that helped catch the Golden State Killer, was successfully employed for the first time in Collin County to identify Wheat, according to Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis.

“It took us several years and countless hours of research,” mentioned Plano Police Detective Daniel Bryeans.

Detective Bryeans took charge of the case in 2018 when he joined Plano’s cold case unit.

“We started by reviewing all the evidence we had,” said Detective Bryeans.

The evidence encompassed volumes of documents, videos, and DNA left by the suspect at the crime scenes, which was uploaded into public databases for ancestry tracing.

“We needed to find matches among relatives and then begin investigating on social media, law enforcement websites, and anywhere else to track families,” explained Detective Bryeans.

Numerous DNA samples from potential relatives were tested, but many did not yield matches.

“We encountered numerous obstacles,” recalled Detective Bryeans.

However, they persisted.

“Given the severity of the crimes and the number of victims, we couldn’t afford to stop,” stressed Detective Bryeans.

In 2021, Wheat, a truck driver, was apprehended in Arkansas after DNA samples were obtained from his daughter and half-brother, confirming his identity.

“We attempted to interview him, but he refused to cooperate,” mentioned Detective Bryeans.

Wheat pleaded guilty last week to cases across Collin, Dallas, Tarrant, and Denton Counties.

“It was immensely satisfying,” remarked Staub. “The entire department played a crucial role in resolving this case.”

When asked if he believes Wheat has additional victims, Detective Bryeans responded, “Absolutely, without a doubt.”

Wheat received a life sentence for offenses in Tarrant and Collin Counties, 30 years for the Dallas County case, and 20 years for the Denton County case.