MONROE — Police are charging a Monroe man with the 1998 rape of a woman, getting a break on the cold-case when the suspect was arrested in 2022 and his DNA sample matched an offender database.

As a result, Ryan A. Berg, 50, of Monroe is now charged with second-degree sexual assault and burglary in connection with an incident that occurred on a storm-swept night in 1998. 

“On the date of the sexual assault, a sexual assault exam was conducted and semen DNA was subsequently located from a cervical smear by the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory from a report dated April 5, 1999,” said a criminal complaint, filed in January 2023 in the case. “On a lab report dated July 7, 2022, the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory notified the Monroe Police Department that a CODIS hit on the DNA from the Vaginal Swab…”

Back on May 24, 1998, the victim had just returned to Monroe from a trip to Milwaukee with her then-boyfriend who lived in Juda. She was relaxing in bed when she heard a strange noise. She called out to her son after hearing a noise in the house amid thunder and lightning outside.

The victim had turned off her television when the suspect — who had somehow gotten inside her east side home in the 800 block of 25th Avenue — jumped up from the carpeted floor, climbed on top of her and raped her for 15 minutes to an hour, implying that he had a knife and would hurt the victim if she did not do what he wanted.

“The victim said as she hit the light switch, he was already on top of her,” the complaint said. “(She) said he had a hold of her arms and he was on her back, he pulled her arms down and had his knees on her hands holding her down so she could not move.”

More than two decades later, Berg found himself in trouble again.

In January 2022, police were called for a welfare check on a child, and Berg was arrested. The arrest led to his DNA being taken again and a match being made in the database. 

The call to investigate the January 2022 welfare check reportedly came from a Freeport number and led to Berg’s arrest on several child abuse felonies, including physical abuse of a child and intimidation.

At that time, he also was charged with intimidating a police officer or law enforcement official, another felony. His DNA was taken at that time and loaded into the criminal database, according to District Attorney Craig Nolen.

Berg was formally charged with second-degree sexual assault/use of force and burglary on Jan. 17, 2023 once DNA results were tested.

Berg was scheduled to appear again on the new charges on Tuesday, Aug. 22, in Green County Circuit Court. According to court records, Berg is currently incarcerated at the Stanley Correctional Institution.

The earlier child-abuse case led him to be sentenced to three years in prison and four years of probation. It is unclear when he was released and returned to Monroe.