A Chantilly man is being held without bond in connection with three sexual assault cases that date back to 1998, Fairfax County police said on Thursday. And police are looking for other possible victims.
Advanced DNA testing on forensic evidence and genealogy research led police to Edward Eugene Pottmyer, 58.
Cold case detectives submitted the DNA to Othram Inc. The company used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing to create a profile that was then used for Forensic Genetic Genealogy research to identify Pottmyer.
With help from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, authorities took Pottymer into custody on June 5. He faces charges of forcible sodomy and abduction with the intent to defile.
Fairfax County police said they believe Pottymer sexually assaulted a 48-year-old woman out for a run around 7 p.m. in the Fair Lakes area on September 9, 1998. They said he implied he had a knife during the attack.
The police said Pottymer is a suspect in the sexual assault of a 66-year-old during a break-in on Parkside Drive in Fairfax around 11 p.m. on August 3, 2000. The victim was asleep when the suspect forced his way into her home. She fought him off and escaped by jumping from a second-story balcony.
In the third case, a 51-year-old woman saw a man exposing himself outside her sliding glass door around 10:45 p.m. on December 6, 2004. She yelled and he ran.
Detectives want to talk to people with information about these cases or who think Pottmyer may have had unlawful contact with them. The phone number for the Cold Case Squad is 703-246-7511.
Feature image courtesy Fairfax County police/Facebook
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