The fact that Jennifer survived this ordeal is amazing, and her attempt to bring closure to the case is inspiring. Jennifer has been working with a division of the FBI called the Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team (CARDT) to try and find the man who assaulted her so long ago.

Jennifer’s assailant left a few articles of clothing at the scene of the crime, but DNA testing was inconclusive at the time. There have been many technological advances since then, and members of the CARDT were able to run new tests on evidence that was locked away for many years. They found a match.

DNA samples pointed to a man named Dennis Earl Bradford. He was previously arrested for a sexual assault case in Arkansas from 1997, and found guilty of kidnapping a 35-year-old woman, sexually assaulting her and then cutting her throat. The crime was an exact match of what happened to Jennifer Schuett.

As investigators began to dig deeper, they made a startling discovery. After Jennifer was attacked she helped a sketch artist create a picture of the man who kidnapped her. That picture had a striking resemblance to Dennis Bradford’s driver’s license photo. Jennifer had also written several notes to the police about her assault – and those notes mentioned that her abductor referred to himself as Dennis.

Dennis Bradford lives in Arkansas, but in 1990 he lived in Dickinson, Texas. His home was only about a mile away from the apartment building where Jennifer was abducted. The FBI finally had a break in the case after nearly 2 decades of silence.

On Tuesday, October 13, 2009, Dennis Earl Bradford was arrested while on his way to work in Little Rock, Arkansas. Local authorities worked with an FBI agent and a detective from Dickinson to capture the suspect and book him at a nearby facility. Bradford will be charged with attempted murder, and he is expected to be extradited to face a trial in Texas. If he is found guilty, Bradford could be sentenced to life in prison.

Jennifer Schuett may finally have closure on this painful chapter in her life.  Her assailant has gone free for almost 20 years and most people believed he would never be caught, but now the alleged perpetrator is behind bars. Jennifer boasts that she should not be thought of as a victim, but as victorious.

Thanks to the persistence of Jennifer Schuett, members of the CARDT and modern technology, a man who brutally attacked a young girl may finally be brought to justice. At PeopleFinders.com we’re grateful for tools that help protect us and identify known criminals. You never know what type of person may be living in your neighborhood, but our Sexual Offender Search can help you find out. Use it to learn if there are registered sex offenders near your family.

Jennifer deserves respect and admiration for her bravery and persistence. We can all breathe a sigh of relief at the thought that the man who raped and left her for dead has finally been captured. Stay safe out there, and thank you for reading the PeopleFinders.com People Search blog.

For more current Sex Offender News, read the harrowing tale of Jaycee Dugard here.

As Jennifer slept, an unidentified man snuck in through her window and took the girl in his arms. He left the house quickly, and ran to his car while covering her mouth so she couldn’t scream for help. The abductor told Jennifer that he was an undercover cop and a friend of the family to keep her calm. He placed her inside the car and drove away.

The driver spoke to Jennifer Schuett calmly, stopped at a local auto shop and claimed that her mother would meet them there. Before long he said she must not be coming after all, and started the car again. This time they stopped in front of an overgrown field, very close to the school she attended.

Jennifer’s captor pulled out a knife and held it to her throat. He raped the helpless 8-year old while threatening her life with the weapon. She passed out.

When Jennifer awoke she was being dragged through the field by her ankles. Although the harsh ground cut deeply into her bare skin, Jennifer would play dead whenever her assailant turned back to look at her. Finally, he left her. As Jennifer lay there she wanted to call for help or walk home, but found she could not. She wouldn’t understand why until sometime later – the attacker had also slit her throat.

Jennifer was alone, without clothes and bleeding to death on a hill full of fire ants. Time passed slowly for the helpless girl as the sun crept up and brought waves of heat to the field.

It was a stroke of luck that led to the discovery of Jennifer Schuett. Almost 12 hours after she was left for dead, group of children were playing hide and seek in the same field and one tripped over her feet. The kids went for help, and soon after a helicopter arrived to airlift Jennifer to the closest hospital. She remained there and endured medical treatments and rehabilitation for several months.

Investigators found a few pieces of clothing in the field, but DNA testing was not very advanced at the time so the tests were inconclusive. Eventually the investigation was shelved and Jennifer’s case was all but forgotten, until a stroke of luck set things back in motion.

In 2008 a division of the FBI called the Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team (CARDT) picked five unsolved child abduction cases to reopen. The team heard about Jennifer Schuett’s case and decided to pursue. They set it as a top priority, because it is very unusual for someone to survive that type of trauma. Jennifer immediately chose to be a part of the investigative experience.

Jennifer actively works with the CARDT team to offer all the help, memories and tips she can. She is focusing all of her efforts on discovering who did this to her and bringing them to justice. The team is running extensive DNA tests on the evidence that was found at the scene of the crime nearly 20 years ago. Although they provided no clues at the time, today’s testing methods are so advanced they may finally reveal a long kept secret.

Jennifer is determined to remain strong, speak out in any public forum where she can have her voice heard and fight to have this case solved. She will not let this end with her being victimized. She is a survivor who has chosen to fight back.

This situation serves as a reminder of how careful and vigilant we must all be. Modern technology may help solve her case, and it can help others avoid similar tragedies. Powerful tools like a Sex Offender Search will tell people if any sexual offenders live nearby so we can be better informed on how to protect our family and ourselves from predators.

We applaud Jennifer’s strength and hope that the sick individual who committed this horrendous crime will be caught quickly. If you have any information that can help, please contact your Local FBI Office immediately.  Stay safe out there, and thank you for reading the PeopleFinders.com People Search blog.

Breaking News: The man suspected of sexually assaulting Jennifer Schuett was caught! Read about it here.

For more current Sex Offender news, read the harrowing tale of Jaycee Dugard here.