(Anchorage, AK) – Last week, in a long-awaited proceeding, 62-year-old Anthony Dillard was sentenced by Anchorage Superior Court Judge Andrew Peterson for Sexual Assault in the First Degree, committed on August 13, 2007. At trial, the evidence showed that Dillard met the victim outside of The Avenue Bar, lured her into an alleyway, and forcefully raped her. Police were unable to identify Dillard as the suspect until 2010, when Dillard’s DNA profile was matched to male DNA found on the victim.

This case initially went to trial in May 2014, however, the Court declared a mistrial when a jury was unable to come to a unanimous decision. A retrial was held in February 2019, where an Anchorage jury found Dillard guilty of Sexual Assault in the First Degree. Sentencing was initially scheduled for June 2019, but was stayed at Dillard’s request pending the outcome of litigation involving a second victim.

Judge Peterson found that one aggravating factor applied to this case – that Dillard had engaged in the same or similar conduct, against the same or similar victim. The Court heard evidence that in February 2005, Dillard grabbed an intoxicated woman from the street in downtown Anchorage, dragged her by her hair to a tent at the Fur Rendezvous Carnival, and proceeded to strangle the victim before sexually assaulting her. In 2010, Anchorage Police were able to match Dillard’s DNA profile to male DNA found on the victim in 2005.

Dillard faced a presumptive sentence of imprisonment of 40 to 60 years. The aggravating factor allows but does not require the Court to consider imposing a sentence of up to 99 years. The State requested a sentence of 75 years with none suspended. Dillard requested a sentence of 60 years with 20 years suspended. In fashioning its sentence, the Court noted with concern that Dillard targeted vulnerable women and found that Dillard’s prospects for rehabilitation were extremely guarded.

The Court sentenced Dillard to 60 years with none suspended.

This case was investigated by the Anchorage Police Department’s Special Victim’s Unit. Dillard has been in the custody of the Alaska Department of Corrections since July 2010.

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