Trial set for man accused of rape, murder in 1994


January 10, 2008 at 12:51p.m.

Trial set for man accused of rape, murder in 1994

WARREN — A trial for the former Cortland man charged with killing and raping a 48-year-old Warren woman in 1994 is set to take place Feb. 25 after what his defense attorney says was a final pretrial hearing earlier this week.

Police have accused William K. Gunther Jr., 36, formerly of Old Oak Drive, with the murder and rape of Priscilla I. Code of Highland Avenue Southwest in Warren.

Code’s partially clothed body was found on Peerless Street Southwest near current day Western Reserve Middle School at just after midnight Jan. 15, 1994. She died from multiple gunshot wounds.

The case went cold for 13 years before authorities used a federal DNA-matching database to determine that the DNA found in Code’s body as a result of her rape matched Gunther’s.

For the complete story, see Friday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.