Cold-Case Rapist, Stephen Paul Gale, Sentenced To Decades In Prison: Reports

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Stephen Paul Gale, found guilty last week in a decades-old Framingham rape case, will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Gale, 72, was sentenced Monday to a prison term of 50-60 years, according to multiple reports.

The sentencing ends a cold case that dates to Dec. 27, 1989. Prosecutors said that’s when Gale entered the now-defunct Hit-Or-Miss clothing store, on Route 9, and forced the two female employees into separate back rooms. He then raped each one, stole cash from the store and escaped.

Gale was identified as a suspect with the help of DNA evidence. He was apprehended two years ago in Los Angeles after a 40-mile police chase.

His trial in Middlesex County Superior Court began March 3. The jury on March 24 found Gale guilty of aggravated rape, kidnapping and armed robbery.

To read coverage of the sentencing by WHDH-TV 7, click here.