PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — After nearly four decades, justice has been served in a brutal cold case.
A Prince William County jury has convicted Russell Marubbio, of Florida, for the abduction and rape of a gas station clerk on December 19, 1987.
The victim, then 50 years old, was attacked at a Chevron station on Jefferson Davis Highway in Woodbridge.
She was forced into the restroom at knifepoint, bound with tape, and raped.
A rape kit was collected, but DNA technology at the time was unable to identify a suspect.
The case went cold until 2019, when veteran detectives Giannina Pinedo and Colleen Grantham reopened it using advanced forensic methods.
DNA testing eventually pointed to Marubbio, 54, and his identical twin brother.
To solve the rare genetic challenge, investigators turned to Parabon NanoLabs, which used cutting-edge genome sequencing to detect tiny DNA differences between the twins. The results conclusively tied Russell Marubbio to the crime.
Marubbio was arrested in 2023 and convicted on August 21, 2025. His bond has been revoked, and he remains in custody until sentencing on November 7, 2025.
“This verdict shows our commitment to pursuing justice, no matter how many years have passed,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth, praising the detectives and prosecutors who refused to let the case go unsolved.
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