A man in California has been sentenced to 140 years in prison for the brutal rapes of a 9-year-old girl and a 32-year-old jogger over two decades ago. Kevin Konther, 58, was convicted in February 2023 of multiple felony charges related to the sexual assaults, including two counts of forcible rape and one count of a lewd and lascivious act with a minor. The Orange County District Attorney announced the sentencing on Friday, stating that the judge imposed the maximum penalty.

During the trial, prosecutors revealed that Konther had tried to accuse his identical twin brother of committing the crimes, as well as the molestation of a former girlfriend's daughter. However, investigators quickly determined that Konther was the suspect after arresting both twins in 2019. The breakthrough in DNA testing led authorities to both men, but recorded conversations between the brothers revealed incriminating statements made by Konther, while his twin expressed shock at the allegations.

The first assault occurred on October 21, 1995, when Konther raped a 9-year-old girl in Lake Forest. He grabbed the girl, covered her mouth, and pulled her down an embankment to a secluded park. The victim ran home without her clothes and reported the rape to her mother. Three years later, on June 2, 1998, Konther attacked a 32-year-old woman who was jogging in Mission Viejo. Naked except for his shoes, he jumped out at her from bushes along her jogging trail, dragged her down an embankment, and assaulted her before fleeing the scene.

The investigation into these historical crimes was stagnant until advances in genetic genealogy in 2019 allowed detectives to make significant progress. The use of investigative genetic genealogy led to the discovery of a third crime, the molestation of the daughter of one of Konther's ex-girlfriends. Detectives used the shared DNA of the twins to connect them to the rape cases.

District Attorney Todd Spitzer commended the relentless pursuit of justice by the Orange County Sheriff's Department and the Orange County District Attorney's Office, ensuring that Kevin Konther, who preys on young girls and women, will never be free to harm again. The sentencing of Konther to 140 years in prison is the maximum penalty allowed for his heinous crimes.

Konther's twin brother has not been charged in connection with the rapes, and it is unclear if he had any knowledge or involvement in the crimes.