Investigators used DNA, smartwatch location records and genetic genealogy to identify Timothy Dubois.
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — A Madison County judge sentenced Timothy J. Dubois Jr. to 120 years in prison Thursday for abducting a 21-year-old woman from a Collinsville coffee shop parking lot and sexually assaulting her at knifepoint in 2022.
The sentence followed Dubois’ May conviction on 10 counts involving aggravated criminal sexual assault, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Circuit Judge Tim Berkley also rejected a defense request for a new trial. The ruling closed the trial phase of a case that began with surveillance images, a suspect sketch and an intensive search across communities east of St. Louis.
Prosecutors said the attack began on the morning of Nov. 11, 2022, while the woman waited inside her vehicle for a mobile order at a Starbucks in the Collinsville Crossing shopping center. Dubois entered her vehicle with a large knife and forced her to drive to a secluded area in Troy, authorities said. He sexually assaulted her there before driving the vehicle back toward Collinsville Crossing. The vehicle stopped near a Wendy’s restaurant, and Dubois fled on foot. During the trial, the woman testified that Dubois claimed he “deserved” to assault her because it was Veterans Day. Authorities have not publicly identified the woman, following the standard practice of withholding the names of sexual assault victims.
The investigation initially centered on images captured by surveillance cameras near the shopping center. Police released pictures of a vehicle and a sketch of the man they believed had committed the attack. One of the most important breaks came from the woman’s Apple Watch. Investigators used its location history to narrow the area where the assault occurred and found a discarded condom containing DNA. The sample did not immediately provide police with a named suspect. Investigators later used information from a commercial genetic genealogy database, comparing the unknown DNA with profiles submitted by relatives researching their family histories. That process helped lead police to Dubois, a Fayette County resident who was later questioned and charged.
Law enforcement witnesses testified that Dubois confessed during police questioning and wrote an apology letter to the woman. Prosecutors presented the recorded statement and letter to jurors, along with the DNA evidence and testimony describing how investigators reconstructed the route from Collinsville to Troy. The defense challenged the admission of the confession and letter. Public Defender Mary Copeland argued that police obtained them through unlawful interrogation methods and asked the court to suppress the evidence before trial. Jurors nevertheless saw the materials and returned guilty verdicts after about 90 minutes of deliberation on May 7.
Copeland renewed those objections in a June 1 motion seeking a new trial. She argued that the confession video and apology letter should not have been admitted and that their use harmed Dubois’ right to a fair trial. Berkley denied the request Thursday, saying the court had already conducted a lengthy hearing on the attempt to suppress the evidence. The denial cleared the way for sentencing. Although the court announced a combined term of 120 years, five years will run at the same time as other portions of the sentence. Illinois sentencing rules mean Dubois may serve no more than about 80 years and no fewer than about 65 years for the offenses. He also will receive credit for roughly three years already spent in custody.
During the sentencing hearing, Copeland asked the judge to consider Dubois’ military service and mental health history. She described him as a loving father and devoted son who struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in the military. “He sacrificed his mental health to fight for our freedom,” Copeland said. She told the court that his behavior and personality changed after he returned from combat. Prosecutors focused on the violence of the offense, the use of a knife and the lasting harm caused by an attack that began while the woman was completing an ordinary morning errand.
The judge imposed the longest available term after reviewing the convictions, arguments and evidence. Collinsville Police Chief Brett Boerm called the outcome a victory for investigators and residents. “It’s a win for law enforcement. It’s a win for Madison County public safety,” Boerm said after the hearing. Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine previously described the genetic genealogy work as an innovative investigative technique. The case showed how police combined traditional evidence, including surveillance video and witness accounts, with digital records and family-tree research to identify a suspect.
The woman has also filed a civil lawsuit seeking damages from Dubois, Starbucks and the owner of the Collinsville location. The lawsuit accuses the businesses of negligence connected to the circumstances surrounding the abduction. The civil claims are separate from the criminal prosecution and must be decided under a different legal standard. The filing does not alter the jury’s criminal verdict or the sentence imposed Thursday. Further details about the lawsuit’s schedule and the defendants’ responses were not immediately available.
Dubois can pursue an appeal of his convictions, the judge’s evidentiary rulings and the sentence. Any appeal would move through the Illinois appellate court system, where judges would review the trial record rather than hear the case again before a new jury. No appellate hearing date had been announced as of Friday. For now, the 42-year-old remains in custody under a sentence expected to keep him imprisoned for decades.
Author note: Last updated July 10, 2026.