Prosecutors Convict Man Of Rape Committed In 1999

A Conviction 25 Years Later

A judge recently found 46-year-old Christopher Corn guilty of a rape he committed in 1999. 

Tulsa Police say in 1999, Corn offered the victim a ride, but instead took her to his home, beat her, and raped her.

Tulsa County Assistant District Attorney Ashley Nix says the victim reported the assault, but the original detective assigned to the case couldn't locate her, so the case went inactive.

“During that time, she didn’t know her assailant, and unfortunately with the investigative options back then, there wasn’t much to do,” she said. 

The Breakthrough

With help from funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, it was confirmed the presence of Corn's DNA was in the victim's sexual assault kit. 

The Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office filed a first-degree rape charge against Corn in May of 2023.

“The DNA that was in the system, that sample had been taken during one of his subsequent sexual assault cases,” said Nix.

Christopher Corn's Criminal History

Records show Corn has a 2003 conviction for manslaughter and a 2018 conviction for forcible sodomy.

In 2023, Corn was arrested for failing to register as a sex offender.

Police say this isn't the first sexual assault he has committed. They say most sex offenders are habitual offenders; it's not a one-time thing.

“There were similarities amongst all of the cases in terms of his MO, he’d offer women a ride,” said Nix. 

Justice For the Victim

Unfortunately, in the follow-up investigation, police learned the victim had passed away before this case was resolved. 

Despite her death, Nix decided it was important to file the case, even though she says it's rare to prosecute a sexual assault case without a living victim. Still, Nix believed the victim deserved justice.

“Just because a victim isn't cooperative or perhaps didn’t live long enough to see justice and an end outcome, she deserved it and she still does deserve it,” said Nix.

Looking Ahead

Corn is currently being held at the Tulsa County Jail and will be sentenced on January 27th. 

He is also awaiting trial on a separate rape charge. Nix says she will be prosecuting the next rape case as well.

“She didn’t get justice when she should’ve but that doesn’t mean we don’t care to do it now,” said Nix.