WOBURN, Mass. — Jury selection is scheduled to begin this week for Stephen Paul Gale, the man suspected in the brutal rapes of two women at a clothing store in Massachusetts in 1989.
The 71-year-old, once known as the “Boston Strip Mall Rapist,” was arrested in August 2024 after he led police on a chase through the streets of Los Angeles, California.
Gale is facing charges of four counts of aggravated rape, two counts of kidnapping, and one count of armed robbery in connection with an investigation into the gunpoint rape of two women at the Hit or Miss store on Route 9 in Framingham on the morning of Dec. 27, 1989.
Gale, armed with a .357 magnum, forced two female employees to the back of the store and allegedly ordered one victim to empty money from a locked safe and the second to lock the doors to the store before sexually assaulting them while holding the firearm to their heads, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Framingham Police Chief Lester Baker.
Gale’s trial is expected to feature testimony from 50 witnesses.
Boston 25 News spoke with both of the victims about the importance of locating Gale.
Gale will have a pretrial hearing on Monday, before jury selection is scheduled to begin on Tuesday.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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