A North Carolina man charged with a cold-case attempted murder in Columbia will serve the rest of his life in a Missouri prison.
James Wilson, 61, of Mooresville, North Carolina, was arrested in 2022 for the 1984 rape and attempted murder of a Columbia woman.
The case was reopened in 2020, 36 years after the crime happened. A genealogical archaeologist was able to provide police with a possible profile match, which aided the investigation.
Local officials contacted authorities in North Carolina. A DNA sample was collected, and a test revealed a match with the original evidence. Wilson was eventually extradited to Missouri and charged with forcible rape and first-degree assault.
Wilson was found guilty on both charges in February. On Friday, he was sentenced to life in prison on both counts and ordered to serve them consecutively.
