Victim in serial rape case frustrated by suspect’s lower bail

The victim of a serial rape case is frustrated after a Fayette County District Court judge decided Monday to lower the suspects’ bail.

At the hearing, Judge Julie Goodman stated that based on the investigators’ findings that George Wayne Aldridge was neither a flight risk nor a danger to the public, she was legally obligated to reduce bail unless she herself concluded that he posed a higher risk.

She ultimately concluded that Aldridge was not a flight risk and that, under “certain restrictions,” he posed no danger to the public. She ruled that Aldridge must pay $5,000 to be released, 10 percent of his previous $50,000 bail.

The victim, who spoke to LEX 18 on Tuesday, disagreed.

“This decision is extremely debilitating, disturbing and makes me angry,” the victim told LEX 18. “I feel like it leaves the possibility of a flight risk and that someone will go out and potentially do something like this again.”

In Fayette County, Aldridge is charged with two counts of first-degree rape, two counts of first-degree sodomy, three counts of child abduction, two counts of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of reckless endangerment.

According to court documents and police statements, he is accused of grabbing several female students on the street in Lexington between 2009 and 2016, taking them to another location and raping them.

Aldridge is still awaiting trial and has not yet been sentenced, but the victim who spoke to LEX 18 said she believes he should remain in jail until a jury decides.

“This is someone who has repeatedly kidnapped and sexually abused women,” the woman said. “He abandoned them in different places. This was intentional. He has done this repeatedly. What are we supposed to consider a threat if that is not the case?”

Aldridge’s defense attorney questioned the evidence in the case during Monday’s hearing.

“This entire case hinges on DNA. There is just a lot I don’t know about this particular DNA and this investigation process,” defense attorney Brooklynn Alcorn told the judge.

In a statement sent to LEX 18 on Tuesday, the agency said, among other things, that Goodman followed the law in reducing Aldridge’s bail and that they were pleased with the decision.

“Under the law, Mr. Aldridge was entitled to a lower bail amount and the judge followed the law by weighing the evidence and arguments presented to her and granting a reduction,” the statement said.

At Monday’s hearing, prosecutors argued that the only reason Aldridge did not have a criminal past was because it took so long for him to be caught.

“Given the severity of the circumstances and the fact that the defendant exploited and raped defenseless college students, he poses a danger to the public,” said District Attorney Kathryn Schafer.

DNA evidence

A Lexington police detective testified at Monday’s hearing that during the investigation of an unsolved rape case several years ago, DNA from the rape kit was matched to five other cases. That DNA profile was then sent to Parabon NanoLabs, where a relatively new DNA technology, familial genetic genealogy, was used to create a list of possible matches.

From there, investigators used descriptions of two of the victims to narrow the list down to about 20 possible suspects and ultimately to Aldridge, the detective said. From there, investigators pulled out trash that was set up outside Aldridge’s home, and DNA found in the trash matched the DNA profile from the rape kits.

After Aldridge’s arrest, investigators took a cheek swab and that DNA again matched the profile from the rape kits, the detective testified.