Officials in Framingham, Massachusetts have publicly identified a man wanted in connection with a brutal robbery and rape that took place at a store in 1989. The Middlesex District Attorney, Marian Ryan, made the announcement during a press conference in Woburn. The suspect, Stephen Paul Gale, is now 71 years old and authorities are appealing to the public for help in locating him.
The incident occurred on December 27, 1989, at a women’s clothing store called Hit or Miss, located off Route 9. According to Ryan, the two female victims, aged 18 and 29, were employees of the store who were working to open it when Gale entered. He approached them under the pretense of asking for help with selecting an outfit but then revealed a gun and forced both women to the back of the store.
Once in the back, Gale made the 29-year-old woman, who was a manager at the store, empty money from a locked safe, a cash register, and her own purse. He then took the 18-year-old woman to the front of the store and forced her to place a note on the door stating that the store would be opening late. After locking the door, Gale demanded that both women remove their clothing and took them into separate rooms in the back of the store.
Ryan revealed that Gale sexually assaulted the women before they managed to escape through a fire door and seek help from a nearby home. Despite their descriptions and the collection of forensic evidence including a DNA profile, authorities were unable to identify Gale at the time.
However, a breakthrough was made in 2022 when the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and the Framingham Police Department collaborated with a lab to develop new leads. DNA samples were obtained from Gale’s family and compared to samples collected after the 1989 incident. This comparison ultimately helped authorities secure an arrest warrant.
With an arrest warrant now in hand, authorities plan to share Gale’s description nationwide. Gale is charged with four counts of aggravated rape, two counts of kidnapping, and one count of armed robbery. He is described as 5’11” and weighing approximately 200 pounds. He has used several aliases in the past and has lived in various cities including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and may have ties to Phoenix, Arizona, as well as cities in Texas, Utah, and Florida.
Marian Ryan expressed both the bittersweet nature of the recent developments and gratitude for the investigative work that has been done. She also emphasized her office’s commitment to pursuing cold cases, stating, “We do not forget what people came into this county and did.”
The Framingham Police Chief, Lester Baker, commended the courage and strength of the two women who were attacked in 1989 and acknowledged the collaborative efforts of local, state, and federal agencies involved in the investigation.
In addition to the Framingham incident, officials also want to question Gale about a series of other rapes that occurred in the greater Boston area in 1989 and 1990. The US Marshals Service has announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to Gale’s apprehension and has released a police sketch of him, along with his 1995 driver’s license photo and an age progression photo developed by the FBI.
Authorities are urging anyone with information about Gale’s whereabouts to contact the Framingham Police Department or the US Marshals Boston Tipline. This is an ongoing investigation, and updates can be found on 7NEWS.
