Overview
- Wagner, already charged in five Detroit attacks, was hit Friday with a sixth case tied to an October 2002 assault of a 14-year-old, adding counts of kidnapping, first-degree criminal sexual conduct, and third-degree criminal sexual conduct.
- He was arraigned Thursday in 36th District Court and remanded without bond after a magistrate cited DNA evidence, a repeated pattern in the cases, and concerns about flight risk.
- Investigators say the case grew from testing about 11,000 rape kits found in 2009, which produced DNA links in 2010, and an FBI lead in 2023 that identified Wagner, who was arrested March 17 in Greenville, North Carolina.
- Prosecutors describe a common method in all six cases in which a handgun was used to force girls and young women, ages 14 to 23, into secluded areas, though no firearm charges were filed because Michigan’s six-year limit has passed.
- A probable cause hearing is set for April 7, followed by a preliminary exam on April 14, and authorities say the probe remains open as they urge other possible victims to contact the Detroit Police Sex Crimes Unit at 313-596-1950.