Scott County, IN – An investigation nearly three decades old has led to an arrest after advanced DNA testing linked a Tennessee man to a 1996 rape case in Scott County, Indiana.
According to the Indiana State Police, Cold Case Detective Matt Busick arrested Sammy Wayne Riley, 53, of La Follette, Tennessee, in connection with the assault reported in September 1996. The original case began when a woman told police she was raped after leaving the former Austin Lounge in Austin, Indiana, with two men. DNA evidence at the time did not identify a suspect.
In June 2025, state forensic scientists used advanced genetic technology to identify a close relative of the original DNA sample. Detective Busick then conducted follow-up interviews and determined Riley, a former Scott County resident, was the likely suspect. Working with the Scott County Prosecutor’s Office, investigators obtained new DNA samples confirming the match.
A warrant for Riley’s arrest was issued on October 29, 2025, for one count of rape committed by using or threatening the use of force, a Level 1 felony. Riley was taken into custody without incident on November 1, 2025, and is being held at the Scott County Jail.
The investigation involved the Indiana State Police Cold Case Unit, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations, and the Scott County Prosecutor’s Office.
“All subjects are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.”
