Gale then subjected both women to a terrifying ordeal, forcing them to undress and isolating them in separate rooms at the back of the store.
“He sexually assaulted both women while holding the gun to their heads,” according to a press release from the Middlesex County District Attorney’s office.
Fortunately, when Gale moved to the front of the store, the victims managed to escape through a rear fire door and sought refuge in a nearby home.
DNA Analysis Solves the Case
The breakthrough in this cold case came over a decade later when evidence collected from the crime scene was used to create a DNA profile in 2001.
However, Gale’s identity remained a mystery since he wasn’t in any of the existing DNA databases at the time.
“This crime has haunted the Framingham community for decades, but none of us ever gave up hope or forgot about them,” Chief Baker emphasized the emotional toll the crime has taken on the community.
The case saw new momentum in 2022 when Middlesex County prosecutors and Framingham police employed “investigative genetic genealogy.”
