Judge Binds Ex-Detroit Police Sergeant Over on Kidnapping and Rape Charges
Prosecutors say lab reports tie his DNA to six women from 1999 to 2003.
Overview
- A 36th District Court judge found probable cause during a preliminary exam and sent Benjamin Wagner’s case to circuit court after hearing victim testimony and reviewing DNA reports.
- Investigators accuse the retired sergeant of abducting and sexually assaulting six females who were 14 to 23 years old when the attacks occurred between 1999 and 2003.
- Several women testified under privacy protections and described being threatened at gunpoint, including one account near the Mark Twain area in Detroit.
- Defense attorney Robert Kinney argued some statements changed over time, while prosecutors submitted lab findings they say match Wagner’s DNA to all six cases.
- Wagner remains held without bond in the Wayne County Jail, with a circuit-court arraignment scheduled for the day after Memorial Day.