FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS RELEASE
February 11, 2011
For More Information, contact:
Luther Strange
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
Alabama Attorney General
Suzanne Webb (334) 242-7351
Page 1 of 1
AG STRANGE ANNOUNCES COLD CASE VICTORY WITH
CONVICTION OF MAN FOR VIOLENT SEX CRIMES IN 1996
(MONTGOMERY) – Attorney General Luther Strange today announced a
significant cold case victory with the conviction of a man for the home invasion and
violent sexual attack of a 38-year-old Gadsden woman around 2 a.m. on February 9, 1996.
Jeffery Mack, 43, of Gadsden, today pleaded guilty to first-degree rape, first-
degree sodomy, and first-degree burglary. He received sentences of life imprisonment,
to run concurrently, for each of the three class A felonies.
Also this morning, Mack pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary and third-
degree robbery in the home invasion of an elderly woman in 2010 in a case that was
prosecuted by the Etowah County District Attorney’s Office. Information leading to
this prosecution arose from the Attorney General’s investigation of the 1996 crime.
The successful prosecution of Mack resulted from a project within the Attorney
General’s Office, in partnership with the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, to
investigate violent sexual crimes that previously had been closed due to lack of
investigative leads. This program is funded by a grant from the U.S Department of
Justice.
DNA samples that had been preserved by the Alabama Department of Forensic
Sciences from the 1996 crime made it possible to identify Mack as a suspect. The
Attorney General’s Office presented evidence to an Etowah County grand jury resulting
in his indictment in June of 2010.
“This case is an important example of the Attorney General’s Office working
together with other law enforcement agencies to persevere in achieving justice for
victims,” said Attorney General Strange. He praised the cooperative efforts of the
Attorney General’s Violent Crimes Division, the Attorney General’s Investigations
Division, the Gadsden Police Department and the Etowah County District Attorney’s
Office. Assistance was provided also by the Boaz and Birmingham Police Departments
and the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office. Attorney General Luther Strange commended
Assistant Attorney General Will Dill, who prosecuted Mack for the 1996 crime. He
noted in particular the diligence and foresight of the Alabama Department of Forensic
Sciences and its biological unit under supervisory scientist Angelo Della Manna.
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501 Washington Avenue Montgomery, AL 36130 (334) 242-7300
www.ago.state.al.us
