WILMINGTON — Nearly 23 years after Wayne Edward Soller allegedly raped a Wilmington woman while in town on work, the suspect was extradited and appeared before New Hanover County District Judge Phyllis Gorham, receiving a $2 million secured bond.
District Attorney Ben David cited Soller’s long criminal history in New York, Florida, and New Hanover County — including battery of a law enforcement officer in Florida in 2014 — and his lack of connections to the Wilmington area as the reasons why he presented a flight risk.
“We believe $2 million is warranted,” David said to Judge Gorham.
David said he believed the 2014 arrest was Soller’s “undoing,” because that was the first time his DNA was extracted by law enforcement. That DNA was matched against the 1996 rape kit, which led to Soller’s recent arrest in Florida.
More than three weeks ago, the cold case was re-opened after Wilmington Police Department (WPD) detectives received DNA test results after a statewide push by Attorney General Josh Stein to process backlogged kits. On Monday, a New Hanover Grand Jury indicted Soller on counts of first-degree rape, first-degree burglary, and first-degree sexual offense.
David said he believed Soller was in Wilmington for a week’s time while performing recovery-related work after Hurricane Fran in September 1996. The incident is believed to have occurred on the night of September 27-28; Soller then received a DWI in Wilmington on October 2.
David also said he believed Soller was couch-surfing at the same apartment complex where the incident occurred.
“In 1996, we believe Soller broke into a young woman’s apartment, threatened her life, and raped her while he was visiting Wilmington for work,” David said at a Monday press conference.
Soller was arrested in Deltona, Florida on June 5 through the coordination of the WPD, U.S. Marshals Fugitive Taskforce, and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. WPD detectives traveled to Florida to interview Soller, according to WPD spokesperson Jennifer Dandron.
On Friday, Judge Gorham said Soller faces punishments of up to life in prison for the counts of first-degree rape and first-degree sexual offense.
The indictment states jurors found that Soller “unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously did ravish and carnally know” the victim by force and against her will. Jurors also found that he engaged in a forcible sex offense “by performing oral sex on the victim while stating he had a knife.”
Before Judge Gorham set the bond, Soller filled out paperwork in the courtroom, his hands cuffed in front of him, to receive a court-appointed public defender.
The case will be next set before the administrative court on July 8.
Mark Darrough can be reached at Mark@Localvoicemedia.com
