DANBURY, Conn. — Police have made an arrest in cold case that dates back three and a half decades.
David V. Coffey, 53, was taken into custody Tuesday by Danbury police and charged with Kidnapping in the 1st degree and held on $750,000 bond.
Police said in the late 1980s, in the area of Lake Avenue and Merrimac Street, they investigated a series of incidents that included the abduction and rape of female residents, putting residents on edge. The case had gone unsolved for years.
In November 2023, a woman who was the victim of abduction and rape during that time contacted police and the cases were reopened. She was 11 years old at the time of the incident. The Danbury Police Department Special Victims Unit re-interviewed people identified by the original investigators and utilized resources that were not available in the late 1980s.
With the help of the State Police Forensic Laboratory, investigators positively identified Coffey as a suspect. Coffey lived in the area during the late 1980s.
Police said there is a second suspect in the case who is still being sought and released a 1989 sketch of the suspect.
The court issued an arrest warrant for Coffey, charging him in connection with a 1989 incident involving the abduction and rape of a woman who lived in the area.
Police said other arrests are pending, and they are asking for people who might know something about these incidents to contact Det. John Basile at 203-797-4668, the Danbury Police Investigative Services Bureau at 203-797-4662, or the anonymous Tips Line at 203-790-TIPS (8477). Anonymous web tips can also be submitted here: https://www.tip411.com/tips/new?alert_group_id=22782
Doug Stewart is a Senior Digital Content Producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
