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Anita Alvarez
Cook County State's Attorney
Communications Department
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 603-3423
saomedia@cookcountygov.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 19, 2009

A Chicago man will spend the rest of his natural life in prison after DNA analysis identified him in 2006 for the brutal attack and sexual assault of a 23 year-old woman in 2001, according to the office of Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez.

Robert Weeks, 46, was sentenced Wednesday to the life sentence by Cook County Judge Michael Brown after being convicted by a jury on Oct. 6 of the 2001 sexual assault on the city’s north side.   

Prosecutors said Weeks was identified in the 2001 sexual assault after being convicted in 2004 for aggravated battery to a police officer.  Weeks was sentenced to 4 years in prison for the crime and DNA was submitted to the CODIS database.   Weeks’ DNA was then matched to DNA taken from two rape kits for sexual assaults that occurred in 2000 and 2001.  Weeks was charged in 2006 for both attacks. 

According to prosecutors, on February 7, 2001 at 1136 N. Milwaukee, as the victim walked home from her place of employment, Weeks grabbed her from behind and pulled her into a vacant lot.  The defendant then hit the victim in the head with a rock and dragged her to the back of a garage where he beat and sexually assaulted her.  The victim sustained a broken nose and a crushed orbital bone in the attack.   

The other case solved by DNA analysis is pending before Judge Brown.  In that case, on Dec. 22, 2000 at 1829 W. Evergreen, a 28 year-old female victim was attacked while walking home from a neighborhood restaurant and sexually assaulted.  The next court date is Jan. 8, 2010.

The 2001 incident is the second aggravated criminal sexual assault conviction for Weeks.  In 1982 he was sentenced to 12 years in prison for a rape in Chicago.   Weeks also has several cases pending for making threats to public officials while being incarcerated.

State’s Attorney Alvarez thanked Assistant State’s Attorneys, Annette Milleville of the Sex Crimes Division and Geraldine D’Souza of the Felony Trial Division for their handling of the cases.

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