Kingston cold-case acquittal: octogenarian cleared of 1994 sexual assault charges
Lawrence Harold Serson, arrested at 80 on DNA evidence, was acquitted on all five charges nearly four years later. The Kingston cold case had been declared solved at the time of his arrest.
Acquitted at 84: Kingston jury clears man arrested over decades-old assault
A jury has acquitted Lawrence Harold (Larry) Serson on all five charges stemming from a cold-case sexual assault prosecution in Kingston, Ontario, thewhig.com reports. Serson was 80 years old when Kingston Police arrested him in January 2023; he is now 84.
Investigators had linked the Hamilton resident to the alleged 1994 assault through advances in DNA testing. Specifically, DNA evidence connected Serson to a pair of socks reportedly recovered from the scene of the attack.
At the time of the arrest, Kingston Police declared the cold case solved and issued a news release describing the alleged assault in stark terms: "Serson gained entry into the victim's apartment; he viciously attacked her while she slept. Serson overpowered the victim by confining her before violently sexually assaulting her." Police also alleged the individual had repeatedly attempted to access the residence while falsely claiming to be a police officer.
Nearly four years after his arrest, the jury returned a not-guilty verdict on all counts, bringing the prosecution to a close.
Source: Google News JM — Kingston