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WEBVTT REPORTER: THIS WAS PART OF PLEA DEAL. INVESTIGATORS USED DNA EVIDENCE TO CONNECT RAYMOND ROWE TO T SCENE. IN COURT TODAY, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY STARTED OUT BY GOING OVER THE DISTURBING DETAILS OF THE ATTACK, RAPE, AND MURDER OF CHRISTY MIRACK IN DECEMBER OF 1992. RAYMOND ROWE DID NOT DENY ANY OF IT. HE ENTERED THE COURTROOM WEARING A SUIT AND TIE. THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY ANNOUNCED THE DEAL TAKING THE DEATH PENALTY OFF THE TABLE IN RETURN FOR A GUILTY PLEA ON MULTIPLE FELONIES. INCLUDING FIRST-DEGREE MURDER, RAPE, AND BURGLARY. ROWE’S ATTORNEY TOLD THE JUDGE THAT ROWE ADMITTED HIS GUILT TO HER RIGT AWAY. ROWE THEN TURNED AND FAC CHRISTY MIRACK’S FAMILY, TEARFULLY SAYING I’M SORRY SIR, TO THE FAMILY, I CAN’T IMAGINE WHAT YOU’RE GOING THROUGH. I APOLOGIZ CHRISTY’S BROTHER VINCE ALSO SPOKE. FIRST, ASKING WHY. THEN LATER SAYING "YOU TOOK AWAY OUR JOY, SECURITY, LOVE FOR THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY, MOST OF A YOU TOOK AWAY OUR CHRISTY." THE QUESTION OF WHY RAYMOND ROWE DID IT WAS NOT ADDRESSED IN COURT. RAYMOND ROWE WAS SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE. IN LANCASTER COUNTY, K

Advertisement Raymond 'DJ Freez' Rowe pleads guilty to raping, murdering Christy Mirack in 1992 Mirack found dead in her East Lampeter Township home in 1992 Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Raymond Rowe, also known as DJ Freez, has pleaded guilty to raping and murdering Christy Mirack in 1992. At a Tuesday morning hearing at the Lancaster County Courthouse, the 50-year-old Rowe, dressed in a gray suit, entered the plea and apologized to Mirack's family."I can't imagine what you're going through," Rowe said.The plea deal takes the death penalty, which prosecutors had been pursuing, off the table. Rowe will get life in prison, plus 60 to 120 years, instead.Rowe had been charged with raping and killing Mirack, an elementary school teacher at Rohrerstown Elementary School, more than 26 years ago in her East Lampeter Township home."The length of time that the defendant just went back to the community and enjoyed his life, it is chilling," said Craig Stedman, the Lancaster County district attorney. "It's haunting to all of us that he could just compartmentalize this and go back and literally enjoy his life."Charges were filed against Rowe in June 2018 after undercover state troopers were able to collect new DNA evidence linking Rowe to the crime. That DNA matched the DNA on Mirack's body and on the carpet underneath her when she was killed, according to investigators.Investigators worked with a company called Parabon on the case. They used the same technology that helped catch the suspected Golden State Killer in California. Stedman said investigators can't prove a direct connection between Rowe and Mirack, but the two frequented the same social clubs. Stedman also said Rowe's route to work took him past Mirack's apartment complex. According to prosecutors, Rowe drove a white Toyota Celica in 1992, which matched the vehicle that witnesses saw parked in odd places at the complex on the morning of the murder.Click here to see some of the evidence in the case. Stedman said Rowe didn't provide a motive."Ultimately, the bottom line for this is, what could he say that would make it better?" Stedman said. "He's a rapist. He's a murderer, and he took her life, and he's going to spend the rest of his days behind prison." Mirack's brother, Vince, read a statement in court, saying it's been a struggle every day since his sister's death. He told Rowe that he'd taken away the family's joy, security and love for the Christmas holiday. “I always knew this day would come," Mirack added. "Now you will never be free for a day again. I hope your life is as painful to you as the last 26 years has been for us.”Over the summer WGAL, aired a special looking at the Mirack case. You can watch an on-demand version of that here.