A former Navy diver has been linked to multiple cold case rape investigations spanning four states, according to California officials. The Ventura County District Attorney's Office announced on Thursday that Sean Patrick McNulty is connected to six home invasion rapes that occurred between 1982 and 1997.

The cases involve assaults where women were attacked in their homes by an intruder who threatened them, sometimes calling to intimidate them into silence. McNulty, who died by suicide in 1997, was identified as a suspect after a lengthy investigation that included DNA testing of evidence collected from two rape kits in Ventura County from 1982 and 1983.

In March 2024, DNA from these kits was uploaded to the Combined DNA Index System, a national database managed by the FBI. Investigators found that the DNA matched samples from rapes in Michigan in 1994 and 1995, as well as a rape in Ohio in 1997. McNulty had not previously been named as a suspect in these cases.

Following the DNA matches, Ventura County investigators collaborated with law enforcement in Michigan and Ohio. They also enlisted the help of an investigative genealogist from the Columbus Police Department. This research led to the identification of McNulty as a potential suspect in all five cases.

Due to McNulty's cremation, authorities could not obtain a DNA sample from his remains. However, they located a biological sample from a 1993 rape case in Indiana, where he had been named a suspect. This sample matched the DNA from the other cases, confirming his involvement.

Authorities have reached out to McNulty's victims to inform them of his identification and death. So far, only one victim has been located. She expressed relief, stating she had "waited 40 years" for closure. Another victim from the Indiana case expressed gratitude that investigators "didn't give up" on her case.

McNulty was born in Burlingame, California, and spent much of his life in Ventura County. He served in the Navy from 1979 to 1992 and had a history of legal issues, including an arrest in 1978 for making obscene phone calls. He was married in 1988 but divorced before his death.

The investigation into other potential crimes committed by McNulty is ongoing, as officials continue to explore his history across various states.