Andover Police Revive 23-Year-Old Aggravated Rape Case

 A California man was finally arraigned in connection with a 23-year-old aggravated rape case thanks to a renewed investigation by Andover Police.

Andover Police, in conjunctions with the State Police, recently started investigating the case again using DNA evidence. After submitting the evidence to a larger DNA system, police eventually received a match to Valentine Underwood, a man who is serving two life sentences for murder in California,

Roughly 23 years ago, Underwood allegedly ran a 24-year-old woman off the road on River Road in Andover. He then allegedly kidnapped her at knifepoint and started driving north, beating and sexually abusing her in the car.

After leaving her in a ditch off the side of the highway for dead, a Good Samaritan found her and took her to a nearby hospital. An extensive investigation was done by Andover Police and Hampton, N.H. police, with help from the FBI. However, nobody was charged in the incident.

In 2009, Andover Police restarted the investigation by obtaining the DNA samples from Hampton, N.H. police and submitting them to the State Police Crime Lab.

The crime lab then sent them into a nationwide DNA database, eventually getting a match on Underwood and securing indictments in both Essex County and Rockingham County, N.H.

Underwood was arraigned Friday morning at Salem Superior court and pleaded not guilty to aggravated rape and aggravated kidnapping. A June 17 pretrial conference was scheduled.

The maximum penalty for aggravated rape and aggravated kidnapping is life in prison.

Andover Police could not immediately comment on the case.