Suspect arrested in Detroit cold case rapes dating back to 1997, 2004
51-year-old charged in connection with cold case rapes
Akida Dudley is charged with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct for instances that happened between 1997 and 2004. He was identified after rape kits that went untested for years finally tested.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A suspect accused of three rapes in Detroit dating back decades is now facing charges after recently tested rape kits linked him to the alleged crimes.
Akida Diaba Dudley, 51, is now charged with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and three counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct for rapes that took place in 1997 and 2004.
Timeline:
The first victim, a 30-year-old woman, was standing near a bus stop near Grand River and West Warren on June 9, 1997 when a man, later identified as Dudley, pulled up next to her, got out of his vehicle, and forced her into the vehicle with a knife, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.
Dudley allegedly held the victim at knifepoint as he drove to a different location, got out of the vehicle and sexually assaulted the victim. He then fled, leaving the victim, who was wearing little clothing, behind.
The second victim, a 16-year-old girl, was at a bus stop near Livernois and Fenkell on Sept. 22, 1997 when Dudley pulled up and asked if she needed a ride. The victim told authorities that she got into the suspect's vehicle because she believed she had seen the man at a motorcycle club before.
Dudley is accused of driving the victim to another location and asking her for sex. When she said no, he allegedly pulled out an ice pick and threatened to stab her. He then allegedly sexually assaulted her and left.
Akida Diaba Dudley
The third victim, an 18-year-old woman, was walking in the area of Fenkell and Wyoming when Dudley pulled up alongside her brandishing what she believed to be a gun, authorities said. This led to the victim getting in his vehicle and seeing that Dudley was armed with a knife.
He allegedly held her at knifepoint as he drove the victim to another location and sexually assaulted her. He then dropped her off on Seven Mile, where she caught a bus to a friend's house and reported what happened.
Dig deeper:
All three victims reported the sexual assaults and had sexual assault kits taken, but they were not tested at the time. They were later tested by the Prosecutor’s Office Sexual Assault Kit Task Force.
On Monday, Dudley was arrested.
"The sexual assault kits in these cases are from the kits found in a DPD evidence storage facility in 2009. As of August 2025, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office will have been continuously doing this work for 16 years. We support our courageous survivors who are willing to come forward and prosecute these cases after waiting for so long for justice," Prosecutor Kym Worthy said.
What's next:
Currently, other sexual assault cases are also being investigated.
Anyone who believes they may be a victim of Dudley is asked to contact the county Sexual Assault Kit Task Force at 313-224-2782.
The Source: This information is from a Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office press release.