A suspect who was wanted for more than three decades for allegedly raping two women while holding a gun to their heads at a Framingham department store was arraigned on Monday.
Stephen Paul Gale is facing four counts of aggravated rape, two counts of kidnapping and one count of armed robbery for the alleged sexual assault of two women at the Hit or Miss Store in Framingham in 1989.
“This is a day that has been much awaited,” Middlesex DA Marian Ryan said during a press conference on Monday.
“Over the many years that this case remained unresolved, the victims, their families and the community at large endured a painful and frustrating wait, as marked by many false starts and moments of uncertainty,” she said, later adding, “We are, as I said at the beginning, very grateful to have reached this moment, and today to have him here to formally be arraigned for his actions.”
On the morning of Dec. 27, 1989, Gale allegedly entered the Hit or Miss Store on Route 9. He reportedly showed a .357 Magnum handgun, and forced two female employees to the back of the store.
Gale allegedly made one victim empty the money from a locked safe, the store’s register and her pocketbook into a bag. He made the second victim lock the doors and put a sign on the front door saying the store would open late.
The suspect then allegedly forced the victims to take off their clothes and placed them in separate rooms. He’s accused of sexually assaulting both women while holding the gun to their heads.
When Gale returned to the front of the store, the victims fled out the rear fire door to a nearby home.
Evidence was collected that led investigators to be able to obtain the suspect’s DNA.
“For 34 years, the identify of that assailant remained unknown,” Ryan said.
But then in 2022, as part of the ongoing investigation into this case, Middlesex prosecutors and the Framingham Police contracted with Parabon Nanolabs to use investigative genetic genealogy to develop new leads that could help identify the suspect.
DNA samples were obtained from known members of the defendant’s family. This DNA evidence and the statistical results comparing the probability of relatedness provided probable cause to identify Gale.
“This was a major development, but it was met with mixed emotions because despite significant collaboration from law enforcement across the country, Gale could not be located,” Ryan said.
Then last August, detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Gang and Narcotics Division along with members of the U.S. Marshal’s Apprehension Task Force located Gale in California — where he was residing on a yacht named “Dior.”
He allegedly fled the scene and made several attempts to evade police during the chase, including avoiding at least one set of spike strips. Ultimately, after an 82-minute pursuit that covered about 40 miles and was broadcast live from news helicopters, Gale was apprehended.
This arrest “illustrates our commitment to continually reassessing cases, rooting out new leads and employing the latest technologies,” Ryan said.
“It is our commitment that we do not forget and we do not give up,” she added.
This case was investigated by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, the Framingham Police Department, Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the DA’s Office, the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, the United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory.