DAYTON, Ohio – A Sycamore Township man, Frederick Louis Tanzer, 66, has pleaded guilty to making false statements in relation to a chilling 1989 rape case that shook Cincinnati. The plea comes after Tanzer’s DNA was linked to the seminial evidence from the crime scene.
Tanzer, then an intruder, broke into a victim’s home on August 1, 1989, and subjected her to a brutal five-and-a-half-hour rape. Dressed in black Lycra and wearing a mask, he held a knife to her throat, dragged her into the bedroom, and bound her with surgical tape and rope before raping her repeatedly.
In 2024, after meticulous investigation by the FBI and the Cincinnati Police Department, Tanzer’s DNA was confirmed as a match to the attacker’s semen left at the scene. Despite overwhelming evidence, Tanzer initially denied any involvement to federal agents and a detective from the Cincinnati PD, according to his plea documents.
Arrested in December 2024, Tanzer now faces up to 15 years in prison for his lies. The guilty plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman, and sentencing is pending.
The investigation and charges were announced by United States Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II, FBI Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola, and Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge. Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly K. Rossi and Julie D. Garcia are representing the United States.
With this guilty plea, justice for the victim of this heinous crime has been served, and Tanzer’s lies have been exposed.
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Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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