Altemio Sanchez
Encyclopedia
Altemio C. Sanchez is an American serial killer
who murdered at least three women and rape
d at least 14 others in and around Buffalo, New York
, over a span of 25 years (1981–2006). He is also known as The Bike Path Rapist. His victims were: Linda Yalem, a sophomore at the University at Buffalo who was killed September 29, 1990; Majane Mazur, murdered in November, 1992; and Joan Diver, who was murdered on September 29, 2006, and whose body was found on a bike path in Newstead, New York
, on October 1, 2006. The killer acquired the nickname because many of his crimes took place near secluded bike paths. On May 16, 2007, Sanchez pleaded guilty to the murders of Linda Yalem, Majane Mazur, and Joan Diver.
, New York
, arrested Sanchez and charged him with the murders. On January 19, 2007, an Erie County grand jury voted to indict
Sanchez for the murders of Yalem and Mazur.
Police say DNA
found at eight crime scenes matches DNA secretly taken from Sanchez before his arrest.
Diver was the only one of the victims who was not raped. It is believed she died during the strangulation before Sanchez could rape her.
Many of the rapes attributed to Sanchez will go unprosecuted due to the statute of limitations
on the prosecution of rape that was in effect in New York
at the time those crimes were committed. He is also a suspect in an ongoing investigation for the murder of a 15-year-old girl in 1985.
On August 15, 2007, Sanchez was sentenced to 75 years to life in prison. He is currently being held in the Clinton Correctional Facility
; he may be moved to a facility closer to his family if he confesses to further murders. DNA linked him to some 25 sexual assaults from 1975.
. After the arrest of Sanchez, investigators realized that the crimes were similar, took place in the same area, and that Sanchez and Capozzi closely resembled each other at the time the crimes were committed. A sample of DNA from Sanchez was linked to the rapes for which Capozzi had been convicted in 1985. Capozzi had maintained his innocence, and was thus denied parole. Capozzi, who is schizophrenic
, and his attorney have settled a civil lawsuit for $4.25 million. Recently, State Assemblyman Sam Hoyt
and State Senator Dale Volker
introduced legislation that would expedite such lawsuits. This bill is known as Anthony's Law.
It is believed that a clue in the Capozzi case file led to the arrest of Sanchez. A detective who looked over the case files spotted a report from a woman who had been raped in 1981. Two days later, she told police she spotted the man who had raped her driving away from a local shopping area parking lot, and she took down the license plate number. When detectives questioned the car's owner, he provided a solid alibi for the rape. However, some twenty-five years later, he was tracked down by the BIKE PATH RAPIST task force and he admitted that on that day he wasn't driving the car. He had lent it to his nephew, Altemio Sanchez.
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
who murdered at least three women and rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d at least 14 others in and around Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, over a span of 25 years (1981–2006). He is also known as The Bike Path Rapist. His victims were: Linda Yalem, a sophomore at the University at Buffalo who was killed September 29, 1990; Majane Mazur, murdered in November, 1992; and Joan Diver, who was murdered on September 29, 2006, and whose body was found on a bike path in Newstead, New York
Newstead, New York
Newstead is the most northeastern town in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 8,404 at the 2000 census. The name is reportedly derived from Newstead Abbey in England....
, on October 1, 2006. The killer acquired the nickname because many of his crimes took place near secluded bike paths. On May 16, 2007, Sanchez pleaded guilty to the murders of Linda Yalem, Majane Mazur, and Joan Diver.
Arrest of Altemio Sanchez
On January 15, 2007, a police task force in Erie CountyErie County, New York
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,040. The county seat is Buffalo. The county's name comes from Lake Erie, which in turn comes from the Erie tribe of American Indians who lived south and east of the lake before 1654.Erie...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, arrested Sanchez and charged him with the murders. On January 19, 2007, an Erie County grand jury voted to indict
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
Sanchez for the murders of Yalem and Mazur.
Police say DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
found at eight crime scenes matches DNA secretly taken from Sanchez before his arrest.
Diver was the only one of the victims who was not raped. It is believed she died during the strangulation before Sanchez could rape her.
Many of the rapes attributed to Sanchez will go unprosecuted due to the statute of limitations
Statute of limitations
A statute of limitations is an enactment in a common law legal system that sets the maximum time after an event that legal proceedings based on that event may be initiated...
on the prosecution of rape that was in effect in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
at the time those crimes were committed. He is also a suspect in an ongoing investigation for the murder of a 15-year-old girl in 1985.
On August 15, 2007, Sanchez was sentenced to 75 years to life in prison. He is currently being held in the Clinton Correctional Facility
Clinton Correctional Facility
Clinton Correctional Facility is a New York State Department of Correctional Services state prison for men located in the Village of Dannemora, New York. The prison itself is sometimes colloquially referred to as Dannemora, although its actual name is derived from its location in Clinton County,...
; he may be moved to a facility closer to his family if he confesses to further murders. DNA linked him to some 25 sexual assaults from 1975.
Exoneration of Anthony Capozzi
In March 2007, Anthony Capozzi was freed from state prison after serving 22 years for two rapes with a similar modus operandiModus operandi
Modus operandi is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "mode of operation". The term is used to describe someone's habits or manner of working, their method of operating or functioning...
. After the arrest of Sanchez, investigators realized that the crimes were similar, took place in the same area, and that Sanchez and Capozzi closely resembled each other at the time the crimes were committed. A sample of DNA from Sanchez was linked to the rapes for which Capozzi had been convicted in 1985. Capozzi had maintained his innocence, and was thus denied parole. Capozzi, who is schizophrenic
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
, and his attorney have settled a civil lawsuit for $4.25 million. Recently, State Assemblyman Sam Hoyt
Sam Hoyt
William B. Hoyt III , better known as Sam Hoyt, was a member of the New York State Assembly. Hoyt represented the 144th Assembly district, consisting of part of Buffalo, New York, and all of Grand Island, New York...
and State Senator Dale Volker
Dale Volker
Dale Volker is a New York State Senator representing the 59th Senate District, which comprises Wyoming County, as well as portions of Erie, Livingston and Ontario Counties. Volker is a Republican....
introduced legislation that would expedite such lawsuits. This bill is known as Anthony's Law.
It is believed that a clue in the Capozzi case file led to the arrest of Sanchez. A detective who looked over the case files spotted a report from a woman who had been raped in 1981. Two days later, she told police she spotted the man who had raped her driving away from a local shopping area parking lot, and she took down the license plate number. When detectives questioned the car's owner, he provided a solid alibi for the rape. However, some twenty-five years later, he was tracked down by the BIKE PATH RAPIST task force and he admitted that on that day he wasn't driving the car. He had lent it to his nephew, Altemio Sanchez.
External links
- Dateline NBC report on the case
- The Sentencing Of Sanchez (Video)
- Books about The Bike Path Rapist/Killer at True Crime Book Reviews