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1989 Rape, Murder Case Closed in Prince George’s County

1989 Rape, Murder Case Closed in Prince George’s County
  • PublishedMarch 15, 2022

Thirty-three years after a woman was raped and murdered on a foot path in Prince George’s County, Maryland, police say they have closed the case.

27-Year-Old Cynthia Rodgers was a biologist working on Parkinson’s disease research at the National Institutes of Health when she was killed on Super Bowl Sunday in 1989.

Her family believes she was taking the path to the store to buy some ingredients for soup when she was grabbed and dragged into a wooded area, where she was beaten, raped and strangled. She was missing for five days before her body was found.

Police say recently re-examined DNA evidence from the crime scene was entered into an FBI database and matched James Clinton Cole. Cole is already in prison; he was convicted of raping a child in Charles County in 1996

  1. Cole is charged with first-degree murder. It’s unclear when he will make his first appearance in court, but Cynthia Rodgers’ family say when he does, they intend to be there.
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Abu Sillah

Abu Sillah is Business Owner from Prince George's County, MD. He serves as the CEO of The DMV Daily and Marketing Manager of The Wig Cafe. Outside of business and media, Abu is a middle school teacher and Promotions Assistant for RadioOne DC. He has a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and an M.A. from Bowie State University. Abu is very passionate about 3 things: media, working with kids and uplifting others,