Maine State Police Detectives today, Nov. 9, arrested 56-year-old Jason Follette of Gouldsboro for the sexual assault of a now 47-year-old woman, who at the time was from the town of Hancock. The then, 21-year-old woman was sexually assaulted in her apartment in Hancock on August 11, 1996. Evidence collected from the apartment at the time was processed and an unknown male DNA profile was recovered.
From the Maine State Police:
On August 2, 2002, Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for an unknown male listed as “John Doe”. Over the years there have been advancements in DNA technology and genetic genealogy. The unknown DNA sample was tested by Othram Inc. The results and other investigative work provided leads that were followed up by Detectives. Through this work, the Maine State Police was able to identify Jason Follette as the suspect. On Wednesday Follette was arrested at a pier in Gouldsboro without incident. He has been charged with one count of Gross Sexual Assault and was transported to the Hancock County Jail. Other charges may be pending.
This case has been an ongoing investigation since it was first reported in 1996. The case would not have come to this conclusion without the help, hard work, and dedication of many agencies including the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, Maine Marine Patrol, Hancock DA’s office, Maine State Police Troop J, the Maine State Police Crime Lab, and the many State Police Detectives who have worked on this case in years past.
