NY NY - Gretchen 'GiGi' Perham, 14, Albany, 13 May 2005

[mysteriew]

The hunt for the killer of a 14-year-old honors student has intensified after detectives learned this week that DNA collected from a similar attack has been matched to a rape suspect already in police custody.
Police sources said the DNA evidence was taken from a towel that was dropped at the scene of a failed knife-point abduction on June 9.

That morning, a 14-year-old girl was attacked as she walked toward Hackett Middle School on Myrtle Avenue. Two workers from nearby Stratton VA Medical Center chased the suspect away, but not before he dropped a towel that he tried to use to muffle her screams.

The attack took place less than a month after the body of another 14-year-old girl, Gretchen Perham, who walked the same route to school, was found dumped down a South End embankment. Perham's chest was battered by more than a dozen knife wounds. Police initially focused on Perham's relatives, but dismissed them as suspects after they passed polygraph lie-detector examinations.
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/st...ategory=ALBANY&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=8/17/2005

 

[mysteriew]

After the July rape, police reportedly found a large knife in Ashley's gray Mitsubishi. At the time, Ashley's girlfriend defended him, saying he is a cook and uses knives for work.

Albany Police at this time will only say that there are similarities in the cases, but no DNA to link Ashley to Perham. These similarities are the fact that both girls attended Hackett Middle School and for both attacks a knife was the choice of weapon.

While police are still putting the pieces together Detective Jim Miller of the Albany Police says that Ashley has only been charged with one crime, but the investigation is still open. In the meantime, Ashley will remain in the Albany County jail without bail.
http://www.wrgb.com/news/local/local_news.asp?selection=article_38894

 

[OkieGranny]

From September 2014:

http://www.stargazette.com/story/ne...mira-correctional-facility-stabbing/16235455/

The inmate suspected of stabbing two officers Wednesday during a cell search at the Elmira Correctional Facility is serving 45 years in prison for three rapes and was a prime suspect in the stabbing death of a 14-year-old...

Ashley was a suspect in the May 2005 murder of 14-year-old Albany middle school student Gretchen Perham, an unsolved case that is still open. The Albany Times Union reported that Ashley allegedly told a fellow inmate in Albany County Jail that he killed her, but detectives could not connect him to the case.

 

[dotr]

Albany Police to announce arrest in cold case homicide of 15-year-old girl

Police and prosecutors will announce an arrest tomorrow in a previously unsolved homicide. They have scheduled a news conference for Friday morning following the arraignment of the suspect. They aren't saying who they've arrested or the name of the victim, but sources tell NewsChannel 13’s Mark...

wnyt.com

Dec 18 2025
''ALBANY, N.Y. (WNYT) – Police and prosecutors will announce an arrest tomorrow in a previously unsolved homicide.
They have scheduled a news conference for Friday morning following the arraignment of the suspect. They aren’t saying who they’ve arrested or the name of the victim, but sources tell NewsChannel 13’s Mark Mulholland that it is related to the 2005 murder of Gretchen Perham.''

NewsChannel 13 will be in court on Friday and will bring you updates on air and online.

https://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Serial-Albany-rapist-charged-with-stabbing-2-5780996.php

 

[dotr]

Dec. 19, 2025 rbbm.
Beauty ..

Gretchen Perham.
and the BEAST.

Darious Ashley was arrested for the murder of 14-year-old honor student Gretchen Perham.Hans Pennink

Serial rapist finally busted in 2005 cold case killing of NY honor roll student he snatched off street

Darious Ashley, 50 — who was already serving a 45-year sentence for rape and kidnapping — was arrested for the murder of 14-year-old honor student Gretchen Perham in 2005.

nypost.com

''A serial rapist who terrorized Albany two decades ago has been charged in the cold case killing of a teenage honor roll student — whom he allegedly snatched off the street as she walked to school in 2005, prosecutors said Friday.

Darious Ashley, 50 — who was already serving a 45-year sentence for rape and kidnapping — was arrested for the murder of 14-year-old Gretchen Perham, Albany County District Attorney Lee Kindlon said at a press conference Friday.''

Darious Ashley was arrested for the murder of 14-year-old honor student Gretchen Perham.Hans Pennink
Investigators got a break in the case thanks to improved DNA technology and gumshoe detective work, prosecutors said.

“There have been a lot of advances in technology [since 2005],” Kindlon said. “Our ability to now take DNA samples that existed at the time and perfect them … was really one of the breakthroughs that we had.”

Cuffed in green prison scrubs, Ashley stayed mum at his arraignment Friday. He pleaded not guilty murder, kidnapping, attempted rape and first-degree sexual abuse after being charged Wednesday.''
''He’s due back in court Feb. 20, and now faces life behind bars.''

 

[Gators North]

Thank goodness he’ll never walk the streets again.