Tulsa Police confirm arrest of serial rape suspect

Tulsa Police say the serial rapist suspect is in custody. <br/><br/>News on 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright has covered this case for more than two years and says Wednesday afternoonâ€™s announcement

Wednesday, February 22nd 2006, 3:55 pm

By: News On 6

Tulsa Police say the serial rapist suspect is in custody.

News on 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright has covered this case for more than two years and says Wednesday afternoonâ€™s announcement from Tulsa Police brings a sigh of relief for all the police officers working the case as well as citizens of Tulsa who've been living in fear that a monster was out there, lurking.

Tulsa Police say 36-year old Gary Graham is now tied to the crimes that's been haunting their dreams and driving their days.

Tulsa Police Sgt Gary Stansill: "This has been a very unusually long and hard investigation, and the result of answered prayer."

That answer came as the result of a massive team effort, volunteers who canvassed the city with flyers, officers who questioned hundreds of people, detectives who culled through thousands of tips, lab scientists who worked overtime and a task force that gave up time with their own families to help protect ours.

Tulsa Police Sgt Gary Stansill: â€œItâ€™s taken a toll on many people. Many times we would come in and had just given up hope and yet the outcome came out good."

Tulsa Police say evidence now links Gary Graham to the eight confirmed serial rape cases plus the one he was arrested for on Monday, which was the attack of a 9-year old girl in 2003, plus a peeping tom case and a child pornography case, based on a computer found in Graham's apartment.

That's a total of 11 cases and 29 different charges, which include everything from rape to kidnapping to sodomy.

Tulsa Police Sgt Gary Stansill: "This has been a great relief to us and I know it is to the citizens and victims also."

Police say Graham resembles the FBI profile that was released a few months ago. It said he'd be familiar with the neighborhoods where the attacks happened and a map of the attacks shows Graham lived right in the middle of them. It said he'd be someone who prowls around or peeps into windows and that's how he'd choose his victims and that he wouldn't look like a criminal.

The next step in this case is for the District Attorney to file charges. Tulsa Police will continue to look at other similar cases to see if Graham can be linked to any of them or ruled out. Some cases might never be resolved because of a lack of evidence, but for now, everyone can sleep easier, knowing one suspected rapist is off the streets.

Graham remains in the Tulsa County jail.