Man accused of serial rape found guilty in Portland case

PORTLAND – A jury deliberated only 30 minutes Wednesday before finding accused serial rapist Michael Chase guilty of raping a 75-year-old Portland woman.

Chase, 25, of Waterboro still faces charges for three other rapes in York and Cumberland counties last year. He is also the primary suspect in a rape in the Boston area, but has not been charged in that case.

At the request of prosecutors, Superior Court Justice Paul Fritzsche ordered Chase to undergo a psychological evaluation. Chase faces up to 40 years in prison for the conviction.

Thomas Goodwin, Chase’s court-appointed defense attorney, said it was hard for his client to overcome DNA evidence presented during the trial. A forensics expert testified that the odds were 13 quadrillion to one that a DNA sample taken from the victim came from anybody other than Chase.

“This case had very powerful DNA evidence,” Goodwin said.

Chase was arrested last summer and charged in four separate rapes. Police characterized him as a sexual predator and serial rapist.

Chase will be tried separately on each charge; trial dates have not been set, but could begin as soon as August. Sentencing for Wednesday’s conviction was scheduled for November.

In this week’s trial, the victim testified that Chase knocked her to the ground and broke her hip, dragged her across the floor by her hair and raped her twice.