The victim in the August 2005 assault, who lived less than one-quarter mile from Roberts, called police last week after she learned Roberts had shot 10 young Amish girls at a one-room schoolhouse.
The victim’s father, who interrupted the assault, said that neither he nor his daughter got a good look at the attacker because it was dark at the time. And they have no definitive proof it was Roberts.
But because no one has been arrested in the assault case, they raised the possibility the attacker might have been Roberts to investigators.
“We don’t know, but it would be a relief if it was him,” said the victim’s father.
Lt. A.J. Krawczel confirmed that state police are investigating. “We’re looking into it,’’ he said this morning. “However, we have nothing definitive to tie him into it right now.’’
The attack occurred shortly before 3 a.m. on Aug. 13, 2005, according to newspaper records. The intruder slipped in a ground-level window at their home, climbed a stairway to the second floor and told the victim: “Be quiet. I won’t hurt you.”
The victim’s father said the attacker had begun to choke the woman. When the father heard noises coming from upstairs, he grabbed a flashlight and began up the stairway. But the intruder was already on his way down — and pushed the victim’s father down the steps.
“He did not want to be seen in this house,” the victim’s father said.
The victim suffered scrapes and abrasions, but her injuries did not require medical attention, police said at the time. They said the intruder was a white male but had no other descriptive information about him.
Police did, however, obtain fingerprints from the scene and intend to compare them to the fingerprints of Roberts, who committed suicide after shooting 10 girls at the West Nickel Mines School on Oct. 2.
“We’ll know if it’s him or not,” the victim’s father said.
Roberts drove a milk tanker for a living, and he worked the overnight shift. His work day ended at 3 a.m., sometimes earlier if he could finish his run. He lived at 1084 Georgetown Road, not far from the victim.
The victim had been living with her parents. She knew of Roberts because she had seen him in the area, but did not know him personally, her father said.
After the attack, the victim moved to her own home.
She remained nervous that her attacker had not been caught.
Last week, after she learned that Roberts was the one who broke into the Amish schoolhouse, she approached his wife’s family and, according to her father, asked: “Do you think Mr. Roberts would have been in my house?”
They said they did not know.
Krawczel said investigators are looking into Roberts’ past.
Before the killings, Roberts said he was angry at God and himself, over the death of his infant daughter as well as what he claimed was his molestation of two young relatives 20 years ago. However, police have not been able to substantiate that any abuse took place.
Among the items Roberts took to the schoolhouse was lubricating jelly, indicating he may have planned to molest the girls.
“Anyone with information should contact investigators here,’’ Krawczel added.
The direct number for state police in Lancaster is 666-3742.
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