Operation Boston: Cops chase up promising leads into linked sex attacks on women across Perth in the 1990s

Police are following up several “promising leads” flushed out by a special investigation in The West Australian into a series of linked sex attacks on women across Perth in the 1990s. As exclusively reported by The West on June 3, a cold case review into four shocking sex attacks on women across Perth between 1995 and 1998 led to a DNA breakthrough several years ago, which has convinced detectives all four attacks were carried out by one assailant. The four offences police have now connected to the same attacker are: Police have agreed to speak publicly about the long-running investigation - codenamed Operation Boston - in the hope members of the public will come forward with fresh information that might lead to the arrest of the sexual predator. Detective Inspector Darryl Cox, of the special crime squad, confirmed several people had phoned Crime Stoppers after The West reported on the case a week ago. “We received a number of calls to Crime Stoppers with promising leads,” Det-Insp Cox said. “Special crime squad officers are now investigating those lines of inquiry.” A cigarette butt left behind by the rapist at one of the crime scenes are among the items to be retested as part of a major forensic review into the attacks and has led police to link all four crimes. Clothing worn by some of the women on the night of their assaults has also recently been retested. Yet despite the retesting of evidence over many years, police have so far been unable to put a name to the attacker. Several suspects have already been eliminated from the inquiry over the years after their DNA was taken and compared to that of the attacker. As a result, detectives have ruled out two men — both convicted killers — who were living in Perth at the time of the attacks. Claremont killer and rapist Bradley Robert Edwards — currently serving a life sentence for the murders of Jane Rimmer and Ciara Glennon in 1996 and 1997 — is one of them. British murderer and rapist Mark Dixie, who lived in Perth in the mid-1990s before killing a young woman in the UK in 2005, has also been eliminated from the inquiry. Detective Superintendent Rohan Ingles, who oversees the special crime squad, said last week his officers would continue to work relentlessly to track down the perpetrator. “Officers from the special crime division remain committed to solving this series of offences with a view to holding the offender accountable for his actions,” Det-Supt Ingles said. “Whilst I am confident we can solve this investigation, I urge anyone in the community who has any information that may assist the investigation to contact Crime Stoppers.” Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000