Suspected serial rapist charged in two Briarcliff rapes

By Marcus K. Garner

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Police charged a man Friday for two of a string of rapes early last year along the Briarcliff Road corridor.

DeKalb County Police investigators believe Jordon Anthony Gibson may be responsible for more sexual assaults, however.

Gibson, arrested Thursday, had been in police custody for more than a year on related charges.

On April 11, 2009, Gibson, 19, was stopped for a traffic violation, and police found property from the rape victims inside his car, DeKalb County police spokesman Jason Gagnon said.

Police, at the time, charged him with several counts of robbery, but continued to consider him as a person of interest in the series of rapes, Gagnon said.

DNA samples were taken from Gibson at the time of his arrest, but they were returned only a few weeks ago, police said.

The GBI's results showed Gibson to be a positive match in two of the rapes.

"We had a strong feeling that he was our guy, just due to the fact that those sexual assaults discontinued the minute he was arrested," Gagnon told the AJC. "However, we didn't have the evidence.

After the robbery charges, Gibson was released on a $60,000 bond and given an ankle monitor.

"We wanted to keep up with him," Gagnon said.

There were at least five more rape victims for whom Gibson's DNA did not match.

"Sometimes DNA can possibly be tainted," Gagnon said, in explaining why there were not more matches.

As far as waiting a year for DNA results, Gagnon said investigators were patient.

"We're just glad it came," he said.