Jury sentences man in 1994 Attleboro rape case

ATTLEBORO, Mass. (WLNE) — The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office said it sentenced the man in the Attleboro rape case that dates back over two decades.

51-year-old Eduardo Mendez of Guatemala was sentenced to serve between a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 20 years in State Prison for aggravated rape of a 36-year-old woman in 1994.

Mendez was one of multiple men who attacked the victim while she was walking home in Attleboro on June 9, 1994.

The DA said the men dragged her into a hallway of a nearby apartment and Mendez committed the rape.

The men then fled the scene, and a juvenile who was walking with their friend heard the victim’s screams and brought her to the Attleboro Police Station, according to the Bristol County DA’s Office.

The victim was then taken to Sturdy Memorial Hospital where she conducted an evidence collection kit, which went untested.

In 2018, the kit was discovered and sent to the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory for testing.

The initial test revealed male DNA sperm cells, with further testing linking Mendez to the crime.

Mendez was taken into custody in November 2022 in New York City after a warrant was obtained.

In 2023, the DNA match was confirmed through a buccal swab.

The defendant was convicted on Jan. 23, 2025 at the Fall River Superior Court and sentenced on Jan. 27.

“My office made it a priority to identify and test all rape kits in our County.  Fortunately, the evidence in this kit was located and sent out for testing, which identified the defendant as the suspect in this case.  I want to thank the prosecution team for their efforts and commend the victim for her perseverance over the last thirty years.  Without the rape kit being tested, this defendant would never have been charged,” District Attorney Quinn said.