St. Pete Cold Case Solved After 23 Years

ST. PETERSBURG, FL —Advanced DNA technology has helped St. Pete cold case detectives solve a rape that occurred in 1997, according to police.

Convicted rapist Michael Albert pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual battery in connection with the case and was sentenced to more than 16 years in jail.

Albert was identified as the man responsible for the 1997 kidnapping and rape, St. Pete police said.

Police said the rape occurred on March 16, 1997 after Albert picked up a woman near 5th Ave. N and 9th St. N. He put her in the back of his van, shackled, choked and raped her. He then left her in the 1800 block of 34th St. S.

A cold case detective tested the woman's jeans in January for DNA, which connected Albert to the rape.

Albert had already been serving a life prison sentence for a similar crime that took place in Hillsborough County in 2004.