Suspect arrested in Washington linked to two decades-old Ogden sexual assault cases
OGDEN, Utah () — A suspect arrested in Washington State has been linked to two Ogden sexual assaults that have been cold for nearly 30 years.
Jerald Leroy McAdams, 68, was found thanks to recent DNA advancements, according to the Ogden City Police Department. He now faces felony aggravated kidnapping and rape charges in two separate cases in the Beehive State.
According to Ogden Police, McAdams has been linked to two sexual assaults – one that took place in 1994 and a second that took place just three years later in 1997.
In the first case, investigators say a 16-year-old victim was offered a ride by an unknown male on Dec. 13, 1994, near 26th Street and Eccles Avenue. The suspect was described as a white male in his mid-thirties with shoulder-length reddish-brown hair and a full beard. The suspect reportedly took the girl, drove her to a secluded location and sexually assaulted her against her will.
A second victim reported being kidnapped and sexually assaulted in September 1997. The suspect reportedly offered the girl money to help find an address in Ogden. When she got into his car, the suspect drove her to a secluded area and assaulted her. Ogden investigators said the second victim was later able to identify the suspect as McAdams, but due to a procedural issue, the charges were eventually dismissed without prejudice.
In September 2023, nearly 30 years later, the Utah Bureau of Forensic Services notified the Ogden Police Department that DNA evidence from the 1994 assault returned a match in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) database.
The match allegedly identified Jerald Leroy McAdams as a suspect in the sexual assault.
'Further investigation revealed that McAdams had a history of similar offenses, including a 1999 conviction for kidnapping and sexual assault in Centralia, Washington, where he was sentenced to prison,' Ogden PD said in a media release. 'His DNA was entered into the national database during his incarceration, leading to the recent match.'
In April 2025, detectives worked with the Weber County Attorney's Office to secure an arrest warrant for McAdams, who was living in Washington State. Ogden detectives then traveled to Washington and, with the help of the Lewis County Sheriff's Office, safely apprehended McAdams.
McAdams is currently booked into the Lewis County Jail in Washington and is awaiting extradition to Utah to face charges connected to the 1994 and 1997 cases.
With the case reopened, the Ogden City Police Investigations Bureau is looking for anyone who may have reported incidents in the past allegedly involving McAdams or have any information about his time in Weber County from 1991 to 1998.
'We urge anyone with information about McAdams or other potential victims to come forward,' Ogden police said.
Tips can be provided by contacting the Ogden Police Department Investigations Bureau at 801-629-8228 or by email at .
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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