Florida twin convicted for 1987 rape in Virginia thanks to advanced DNA analysis

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — Nearly four decades later, Prince William County prosecutors have announced a conviction in an abduction and rape. Russell Marubbio, 54, was convicted by a jury last week. 

On Dec. 19, 1987, a 50-year-old woman was working as a clerk at a Chevron gas station in Woodbridge when she went to use the bathroom, which was outside of the building. When she entered the restroom, a man came in behind her with a knife. He taped her head and hands and raped her. 

Police were called to investigate, and a Physical Evidence Recovery Kit (PERK) was collected from the victim at Potomac Hospital the next day. The woman told investigators she did not know the man who attacked her. 

The PERK was eventually submitted to the Department of Forensic Science and a DNA profile was developed. However, no match for the DNA was found, and the case went cold. 

In 2019, Master Detective Giannina Pinedo, a veteran investigator with 22 years of experience in violent crimes, transferred to the Cold Case Unit and began re-examining unsolved cases using advanced forensic science and investigative techniques. She enlisted the help of Master Detective Colleen Grantham, who has 23 years of experience specializing in sexual assaults, and together they reopened this case. With the cooperation of the victim, Pinedo and Grantham worked tirelessly to identify the man responsible for these crimes.

The detectives worked closely with PWC Police Crime Scene Investigator Andrea Feldman who resubmitted items of physical evidence that were seized in 1987 to the Virginia Department of Forensic Science (DFS) for modern DNA testing to see if additional leads could be developed. DFS was able to develop a male DNA profile from the kit.

Additionally, the detectives sent another item of evidence to Marshall University Forensic Science Center to extract information for genetic genealogy analysis. The analysis results came back to identical twins, two men from Florida — one of which was Russell Anthony Marubbio of Palatka, a city outside of Jacksonville. The detectives were then able to obtain buccal swabs from both brothers with the assistance of Florida Special Agents to compare their individual DNA to the profile developed from the evidence. Their individual DNA matched the DNA on the items seized at the time of the crime, however, could not differentiate between the two identical twins.

In 2022, detectives turned to the advanced DNA analysis services of Parabon NanoLabs and its laboratory partners to resolve a rare case involving identical twin suspects. Parabon provided a solution: while identical twins start with the same DNA, rare “somatic mutations” can arise after the twins split in early development, creating subtle genetic differences between them. Using deep whole genome sequencing and specialized bioinformatics analysis, Parabon identified unique somatic mutations in each twin and compared them directly to the DNA recovered from the crime scene.

This analysis conclusively identified Russell Marubbio as the twin whose DNA was present at the crime scene. The results were admitted as evidence in court, leading to Marubbio’s arrest and conviction. This case marks the first successful admission and application of this technique in a U.S. court, overcoming challenges that have long prevented DNA identification of identical twins.

Marubbio was arrested on June 23, 2023, and released on bond over the objection of the prosecutor by substitute Judge Dennis Smith. Upon conviction, Marubbio’s bond was revoked and he was remanded to the custody of the sheriff.

“This conviction demonstrates the commitment of both our office and the Prince William County Police Department to ensuring that, no matter how much time has passed, we will fight together to seek justice for victims. My thanks to Detectives Pineda and Grantham for re-examining this case and never giving up despite all of the difficulties that arose in the course of this investigation,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth. 

The forensic DNA extraction work was conducted by several labs across the country, including West Virginia, Maryland, Utah and California. 

Sentencing in this case was scheduled for Nov. 7.