CHARLOTTE — Detectives with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Cold Case Unit have identified Tony G. Leslie as a suspect in a 32-year-old cold case involving burglary and sexual assault that occurred on Christmas Day 1993.
The breakthrough in the case came after evidence was reanalyzed in 2022 using grant funds from the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative. This led to the discovery of a partial male DNA sample, which matched Leslie’s DNA in the State Combined DNA Index System.
In the early morning hours of Dec. 25, 1993, officers responded to a report of a burglary and sexual assault. The victim was transported to a hospital for treatment and the collection of a sexual assault kit.
However, with no leads at the time, the case eventually went cold.
Detectives interviewed Leslie at Scotland County Correctional Institution where he is serving a 13-year prison sentence for several 2019 first-degree burglary convictions. Following the interview, Leslie was indicted on charges of first-degree rape and burglary.
On March 17, 2025, Leslie pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary and received an additional 14-year prison sentence to be served consecutively with his current sentence.
The victim has been notified of these developments.
This resolution was achieved through the collaborative efforts of the CMPD Cold Case Unit, the CMPD Crime Laboratory, SAKI funding, BODE Technology, and the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office.
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