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Jory Wiebrand, Suspected Serial Rapist Who Targeted Twin Cities Women, Charged In 14 Cases

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Suspected serial rapist Jory Wiebrand, 34, faces several criminal charges in connection to 14 separate cases targeting women, mostly near the University of Minnesota.

Wiebrand made his first court appearance Wednesday, where Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman discussed the multitude of charges against him, including criminal sexual conduct, predatory conduct, harassment and invasion of privacy, kidnapping and burglary.

"We believe he is the classic example of a serial rapist," Freeman said.

Jory Wiebrand
Jory Wiebrand (credit: Minneapolis Police)

The latest charges stem from incidents that happened between last February and March of this year. In April, prosecutors charged Wiebrand in two cases of burglary and sexual assault. And he was charged in connection to other three cases, two of which involved women being raped just outside their homes.

Wiebrand's crimes have occurred over the last several years, where he stalked victims -- usually at night -- and sometimes attacked them in parking lots, porches or by breaking into their homes.

RELATED: Police Believe Several Minneapolis Sexual Assaults Are Connected To One Man Who's Still At Large

Freeman says that investigators are usually able to solve these cases more quickly. Yet in this case, even though he had left DNA behind, there was no DNA on file because he hadn't been convicted of any crimes that required him to give a sample.

According to the criminal complaint, when Wiebrand was convicted, the Minneapolis Police Department had found a fingerprint on a piece of glass at a place he had broken into. MPD took the glass and matched it to Wiebrand's fingerprint that was on file for lesser crimes he had previously committed. Investigators then had enough evidence to get a search warrant for Wiebrand's DNA, and matched it.

READ MORE: After Months Of Searching, Minneapolis Police Charge Serial Rapist

Freeman says they haven't seen any similar crimes since Wiebrand has been in custody.

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office says they are looking into other cases. Most of them from early 2019 to 2020 -- with the earliest stemming back to 2015. Additional charges may be forthcoming.

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