On Dec. 19, 1987, a 50-year-old woman was working as a clerk at the Chevron gas station on Jefferson Davis Highway in Woodbridge. She went to use the restroom, which was outside of the building, and encountered now-54-year-old Russell Marubbio.
With a knife in hand, Marubbio tapped her head and hands and then raped her, according to reports.
Officers responded to investigate and a Physical Evidence Recovery Kit (PERK) was collected from the woman at a nearby hospital.
Marubbio and the woman did not know each other before the attack, the Commonwealth’s Attorney noted.
Though a male DNA profile was developed based on the PERK analysis, no match was found and the case went cold for decades.
In 2019, an investigator with 22 years of experience in violent crimes transferred to the Cold Case Unit and started to re-examine unsolved cases using advancements in forensic science and investigative techniques.
With the help of another veteran detective, they reopened the case.
While submitting additional DNA from the scene, the detectives were faced with an unusual dilemma — the evidence was linked to identical twin brothers John Aurthur Marubbio and Russell Anthony Marubbio.
Since they were twins, investigators were unable to differentiate between the two and identify which one was the suspect.
In 2022, detectives turned to Parabon NanoLabs, which provided a solution. While identical twins start with the same DNA, rare mutations can arise after the twins split in early development, creating subtle genetic differences.
Parabon was able to analyze the samples and conclusively identify Russell Marubbio as the twin whose DNA was at the crime scene.
The Commonwealth’s Attorney said this marked the first successful admission and application of this technique in a U.S. court, overcoming challenges preventing DNA identification in identical twins.
Marubbio was arrested on June 23, 2023, charged with abduction and rape and then released on bond.
Upon his conviction on Aug. 29, 2025, he was taken into the custody of the Sheriff’s Office.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 7.
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