Serial rapist sentenced to life imprisonment

CHARLOTTE, NC – Three victims of sexual assault testified in the trial of serial rapist LJ Bertha, giving testimony that led to his conviction.

The trial began on May 20, 2024 and Bertha was charged with:

• Three counts of first degree rape.
• Two counts of first degree kidnapping.
• Two counts of attempted first-degree sexual offense.
• Robbery under common law

Bertha was found guilty of:

• A case of first degree rape.
• One count of the lesser offense of second-degree rape.
• One count of first degree kidnapping.
• One count of the lesser offense of second-degree kidnapping.
• The less serious offense of attempted sexual offense in the second degree
• Robbery under common law.

The jury found Bertha not guilty of:

• A case of first degree rape.
• One count of attempted first-degree sexual offense.

Bertha was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years for the first-degree rape charge. She faces an additional 33 years in prison for the remaining charges imposed after the first-degree rape conviction.

On October 12, 1993, Bertha tracked down a victim in a parking lot next to Freedom Driver, kicked out the driver’s side window, and forcibly entered the driver’s seat of the car. He raped her after pulling into a dead-end street and threatened to kill her before driving her back to the parking lot. The victim called the police, who were able to locate Bertha and ran tests to confirm the presence of semen. A DNA test in 2023 confirmed Bertha as a suspect.

On July 30, 1994, another victim was forced into a dead end street on Beatties Ford Road by Bertha and raped while armed with a box cutter. The victim escaped and ran into a store where police were called. Tests were again conducted and in 2023 Bertha was confirmed to be the suspect.

A third survivor was raped by Bertha in November 1996 and served 20 years in prison for this crime. All three survivors testified at the recent trial.