{"id":3007,"date":"2026-05-29T22:31:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T22:31:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3007"},"modified":"2026-05-29T22:31:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T22:31:13","slug":"1997-texas-cold-case-solved-after-dna-testing-leads-to-arrest-in-midland-sexual-assault","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3007","title":{"rendered":"1997 Texas cold case solved after DNA testing leads to arrest in Midland sexual assault"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n article<\/span><\/div>
<\/div> <\/div>

AUSTIN, Texas<\/strong> – <\/span>Texas DPS have identified and arrested a man accused of sexually assaulting a Midland woman nearly 30 years ago.<\/p>

Read more Missing man last seen in southwest Houston<\/a><\/p>

Advanced DNA testing and genetic genealogy helped revive the 1997 cold case.<\/p>

Details of the 1997 Midland Park Mall abduction<\/h2>
<\/div>

What we know:<\/p>

61-year-old James Lee Woodard was arrested in Big Spring last month and charged with aggravated sexual assault in connection with the 1997 attack, according to Texas DPS.\u00a0<\/p>

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n

James Lee Woodard<\/span> <\/p> <\/div><\/div>

The case dates to Sept. 1, 1997, when Midland police responded to a report of a sexual assault at Midland Park Mall. Investigators said a 49-year-old woman was taking out trash when an unidentified man grabbed her, threatened her with a box cutter and forced her into a light-colored van.<\/p>

Authorities said the woman was driven around the area by another suspect while the assault occurred before she was eventually released from the vehicle.<\/p>

How Texas investigators kept the cold case alive<\/h2>

Timeline:<\/p>

For years, investigators pursued leads, interviewed witnesses and submitted DNA evidence to the Combined DNA Index System, known as CODIS, but no arrests were made.<\/p>

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\"\"<\/figure>\n <\/div>

In 2001, the Midland County District Attorney\u2019s Office presented the case to a grand jury in the 142nd District Court. The grand jury issued an indictment tied to the unknown DNA profile, a step that preserved the case by eliminating concerns about the statute of limitations, officials said.<\/p>

Read more US Postal Service issues new North American Soccer forever stamp<\/a><\/p>

The investigation gained new momentum in March 2023 when the Texas Rangers and the Midland Police Department selected the case for the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, or SAKI, a federally funded program that supports investigations of unsolved sexual assaults.<\/p>

Genetic genealogy and DNA testing<\/h2>
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\"\"<\/figure>\n

(Pixabay)<\/span> <\/p> <\/div><\/div>

Dig deeper:<\/p>

Evidence was resubmitted for advanced DNA testing and genetic genealogy research through Bode Technology. Investigators said the testing produced a lead in 2025, which Texas Rangers used to further develop the case.<\/p>

That work led authorities to identify Woodard as a suspect in 2026.<\/p>

On April 1, the Midland County District Attorney\u2019s Office presented the findings to a grand jury, which reissued the aggravated sexual assault indictment and named Woodard as the defendant, according to DPS.<\/p>

Suspect arrested<\/h2>

What’s next:<\/p>

Texas Rangers, assisted by the Midland and Big Spring police departments, arrested Woodard at a convenience store in Big Spring the following day.<\/p>

Read more Sauna blankets sold at Target, Macy\u2019s, Snappy, recalled after reports of overheating<\/a><\/p> <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Authorities have arrested a 61-year-old man for a 1997 Texas kidnapping and sexual assault after advanced DNA testing and genetic genealogy cracked the nearly 30-year-old cold case.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3002,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime-and-public-safety","category-texas"],"yoast_head":"\n1997 Texas cold case solved after DNA testing leads to arrest in Midland sexual assault - Houston Moving Journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3007\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"1997 Texas cold case solved after DNA testing leads to arrest in Midland sexual assault - 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