Denver-based mixed martial arts fighter Jeffrey Ford, 41, was arrested when investigators linked his DNA to three rape cases in Aurora, Colorado, Kansas City, Missouri and San Francisco, Calif.
Known as “Big Diesel” in the ring, Ford was arrested on August 10 for the rape of an Aurora prostitute two years ago. Initially armed with a partial license plate from the victim and DNA collected from the crime, police were unable to nab a suspect.
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Investigators caught a break in the case when a crime analyst discovered that Ford owned a jeep with a variation of the plate number. The analyst also found that he was convicted back in the ‘80s for the rape of an 87-year-old woman when he was just 17-years-old.
Secretly tracking Ford, investigators followed the unsuspecting ultimate fighting champ to a gas station where they swabbed a wad of spit that he casually left behind.
Experts were then able to link Ford’s spit to the three rapes. He is currently serving time for the Aurora rape. However, too much time has lapsed in the Missouri case and the victim in San Francisco is deceased.