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Matthew Nilo, a 35-year-old practicing New Jersey lawyer, was arrested in his Weekhawken apartment building lobby on May 30. Nilo is accused of being the notorious Boston serial rapist. And he faces multiple charges for crimes committed 15 years ago. 

The arrest occurred in front of his new fiancée, Laura Griffin. According to NBC Boston, the FBI, and local police executed a clever plan to apprehend Nilo. They lured him and his fiancée to the lobby of his building by pretending that an oversize package had been delivered for them. 

On Tuesday, Nilo pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated rape, kidnapping, assault with attempt to rape, and indecent assault and battery in Suffolk Superior Court.

 During the court proceedings, his fiancée, clutching rosary beads, stood by his side. The couple had become engaged, just weeks before Nilo’s arrest. Their engagement was discovered through now-deleted social media posts.

The court ordered Nilo to be held on $500,000 bail. His bail includes conditions that include GPS monitoring. And he must keep a minimum distance of 1,000 feet away from Terminal Street in Charlestown. This is the area, where all the alleged assaults occurred. 

A trial date has been set for June 2024.

Serial rapist was on a spree

The crimes attributed to Nilo occurred between August 2007 and December 2008 in Boston's Terminal Street area. At the time, Nilo was between 19 and 20 years old. Authorities believe he was a student on a break from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he had obtained his bachelor's degree. 

The four victims, whose identities remain undisclosed, ranged in age from 23 to 44 at the time of the assaults.

By utilizing genetic genealogy and advancements in DNA technology, investigators were able to identify Nilo as a person of interest.

 Genetic genealogy combines DNA analysis with historical record searches to solve cold cases. 

The reopening of the investigation last year allowed law enforcement to obtain utensils and drinking glasses used by Nilo at a corporate event. These samples confirmed that his DNA matched that of the rapist.

The rapes and assaults involved the suspect offering rides to unsuspecting women before driving them to remote locations. Then he would sexually assault them.

 In some instances, he brandished a weapon, such as a knife or a gun, to intimidate the victims. The women willingly accepted the rides, with at least one allegedly mistaking Nilo for a taxi driver.

Advances in genetic genealogy and DNA technology have played a crucial role in bringing a suspect to trial. And it is a vital tool responsible for solving sometimes decades-old cold cases across the country.