On Thursday, the department sent out a press release announcing that an arrest has been made in connection with two area cold cases.

“The Ogden City Police Department has identified a suspect in two decades-old sexual assault cases from 1994 and 1997, thanks to recent DNA advancements,” the release said. “Jerald Leroy McAdams, already a convicted sex offender, was linked to both cases through forensic evidence and arrested in Washington State by Ogden Police Detectives. He now faces extradition to Utah to face charges of kidnapping and rape.”

The release also details the past incidents that McAdams reportedly has been connected to.

“On December 13, 1994, at approximately 3:30 PM, Ogden Police officers responded to a report of a sexual assault that had occurred near 26th Street and Eccles Avenue,” the release said. “The victim, a 16-year-old female, reported that she had been offered a ride by an unknown male in an older-model, dark brown Pontiac Trans Am with a T-top and tan pinstripes. The suspect, described as a white male in his mid- thirties with shoulder-length reddish-brown hair and a full beard, drove the victim to a secluded location and sexually assaulted her against her will.”

McAdams was arrested following a second alleged incident, according to the release, but ultimately did not remain in custody.

“On September 3, 1997, a second victim reported to Ogden Police that she had been kidnapped and sexually assaulted by an unknown male,” the release said. “The suspect, driving a white Corvette, offered the victim money to help him locate an address. After she entered the vehicle, the suspect drove to a secluded area, where he forcibly assaulted her. The victim was later able to identify both the suspect and his vehicle, leading to the arrest of Jerald Leroy McAdams. However, due to a procedural issue, the charges were dismissed without prejudice.”

According to the release, the Utah Bureau of Forensic Services notified Ogden police in 2023 that DNA evidence from the 1994 assault had returned a match in the FBI’s DNA database, identifying McAdams as a potential suspect.

“Further investigation revealed that McAdams had a history of similar offenses, including a 1999 conviction for kidnapping and sexual assault in Centralia, Washington, where he was sentenced to prison,” the release said. “His DNA was entered into the national database during his incarceration, leading to the recent match.”

After coordinating with other agencies and obtaining an arrest warrant from the Weber County Attorney’s Office, detectives from the Ogden Police Department went to Washington and, with the help of the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, arrested, interviewed and booked McAdams in the Lewis County Jail where he now awaits extradition to Ogden, according to the press release.

In the meantime, the Ogden Police Department is asking for the public’s help.

“The Ogden City Police Investigations Bureau is looking for individuals who have reported incidents in the past involving this suspect or have information about his involvement in Weber County from 1991 to 1998,” the release said. “We urge anyone with information about McAdams or other potential victims to come forward.”

Anyone with information may contact the Ogden Police Department Investigations Bureau at 801-629-8228 or opdinvestigations@ogdencity.gov.