Accused Kentucky Serial Rapist Found Guilty of 2005 Rape in Louisville
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A man accused of multiple sexual assaults across Kentucky has been convicted of a 2005 rape in Jefferson County after DNA evidence tied him to the case nearly two decades later.
On September 11, 2025, a Jefferson County jury found George Wayne Aldridge, 55, guilty of first-degree rape. The jury recommended he serve 15 years in prison.
Additional Charges Across Kentucky
Aldridge’s legal troubles extend beyond Jefferson County. In February 2023, he was also charged in Fayette County with three separate abductions and sexual assaults that occurred between 2009 and 2016. Those charges include:
- Two counts of first-degree rape
- One count of first-degree wanton endangerment
- Two counts of first-degree sodomy
- Three counts of adult kidnapping
- Two counts of first-degree sexual abuse
He additionally faces charges in Scott County for adult kidnapping and first-degree sexual abuse, though the exact timing of that incident has not been clarified publicly.
DNA Evidence and Forensic Genealogy
The conviction in the Louisville case was secured through DNA evidence, confirmed by Kentucky State Police forensic genealogy investigations, which matched Aldridge’s DNA to multiple unsolved sexual assault cases.
Testing was conducted through Kentucky’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), which is supported by federal grant funding. The initiative has used modern forensic genealogy techniques — sometimes pulling from commercial genealogy databases such as 23andMe or Ancestry — to generate familial matches and identify suspects years after crimes were committed.
Lead investigator and SAKI Detective Ben Wolcott said genealogy testing has given new life to long-unsolved cases:
“This case highlights the ability to incorporate a multi-disciplinary concept that achieves results never thought of until now. This victim deserved our best efforts and we delivered. Justice delayed is still justice served.”
Role of SAKI in Kentucky
The Kentucky SAKI team was launched in July 2021 after the U.S. Department of Justice awarded $1.5 million to the state. The funding allowed investigators and a criminal intelligence analyst to transition from the attorney general’s office to Kentucky State Police, enhancing resources to tackle backlogged sexual assault cases.
Authorities say this multi-agency collaboration has been instrumental in not only resolving cold cases like Aldridge’s 2005 rape but also in building stronger investigations into ongoing cases.
Sentencing and Upcoming Hearings
Aldridge is scheduled to be sentenced on November 5, 2025, in the Jefferson County case.
In addition, he has hearings set in other counties:
- October 8, 2025 in Scott County
- November 6, 2025 in Fayette County
The conviction marks a major breakthrough in a decades-old case while underscoring the impact of forensic genealogy and SAKI funding on Kentucky’s criminal justice system. For ongoing coverage of major court cases and public safety news, follow ChicagoMusicGuide.com.