MIAMI, Fla. – A man suspected of being the “pillowcase rapist” in a string of South Florida rapes back in the 1980s was convicted Monday in another one of the attacks.
Miami-Dade County jurors found Robert Koehler, 66, guilty of sexual battery, kidnapping and burglary after deliberating for less than two hours.
The backstory:
Monday’s conviction involves a woman who was 22 years old in 1984 when someone broke into her southwest Miami-Dade County home and raped her. Koehler was sentenced to 17 years in prison nearly three years ago for a similar attack on a 25-year-old woman in 1983.
Crime scene photos from cases involving the “Pillowcase Rapist.” (Courtesy: Broward Sheriff’s Office)
Authorities say the “pillowcase rapist” terrified his victims by breaking into their homes at night. The attacker used a pillowcase, towel or shirt to cover his face — or the face of his victims — before assaulting them, tying them up and stealing items from their homes.
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Prosecutors have said they’ve connected Koehler’s DNA to at least 25 attacks, but there could be more than 40 victims.
Dig deeper:
The assaults attracted extensive media attention in South Florida and prompted the creation of a task force to investigate the sex crimes. Authorities said the trail eventually turned cold until 2020, when a DNA hit for one of Koehler’s relatives led police to the man.
Koehler, a registered sex offender from Palm Bay, Florida, was arrested in Brevard County.
Pictured: Robert Koehler (Miami-Dade Corrections Department)
What they’re saying:
Some victims who spoke to cold case investigators in Broward County said he followed them and knew their names before he attacked.
“He went through my wallet. He knew where I lived. He knew my name. I didn’t know him,” a victim named Catherine said in a video posted by the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
“He didn’t kill me, but he did kill me,” another victim said in the video.
What’s next:
Koehler will be sentenced on November 24.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Source: This article was written with information from Robert Koehler’s trial gathered by the Associated Press in Miami-Dade County, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and previous FOX 13 News reports.