Garden City man convicted in 2006 rape after case reopened 15 years later

GARDEN CITY, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Garden City man could face life in prison for a rape committed in 2006, authorities say.

Ramel Rasheed Lindsay, 35, was convicted Wednesday of two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct stemming from the rape of a then 13-year-old girl.

The crime was reported after it happened, but the sex assault kit performed at the time did not produce DNA evidence, and the suspect was never charged. Then in 2021, the Kalamazoo County Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) team contacted the victim, who suffered severe trauma from the assault, about reopening her case.

According to Attorney General Dana Nessel's Office, the victim blamed herself for not adequately defending herself and believed the crime did not matter to the community since no one was charged.

"For too long this woman had to endure the emotional turmoil of justice denied, but now her courage and determination have made it possible to hold this criminal accountable for his crimes," Nessel said.

After reopening the case, Lindsay was arrested and had been out on a personal recognizance bond since 2021. He went to trial last month.

Lindsay's trial began on Sept. 26, and he was convicted three days later. However, before the jury could deliver its verdict, authorities say Lindsay stopped showing up to court.

An arrest warrant was issued, and once Garden City police couldn't find him, the U.S. Marshals got involved. Six days later, he was caught and is awaiting his Nov. 6 sentencing in the Kalamazoo County Jail.

"This case proves true the saying, ‘You can run but you can’t hide’. Fifteen years after raping a teenage girl charges were brought. Two years after that a trial was held and the defendant convicted. And now, after having fled while the jury deliberated, the defendant has been returned to custody by the U.S. Marshals," said Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting.