A Chantilly man could serve 10 years in prison after admitting to his involvement in three cold cases that date back to the late 1990s.
Edward Eugene Pottmyer, 58, pleaded guilty earlier this month (July 2) to one count of aggravated sexual battery and one count of abduction, both stemming from a 1998 incident on a Fair Lakes bicycle path, according to court records.
As part of the plea agreement brokered with the Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, Pottmyer is expected to be sentenced to 10 years behind bars — down from a maximum of 30 years — when he returns to court in October.
Pottmyer was arrested by the Fairfax County Police Department last June after a DNA analysis positively identified him as a suspect in the 1998 sexual assault, along with a separate assault in Fair Oaks in 2000 and an indecent exposure incident in Burke in 2004.
According to the FCPD, Pottmyer, then 33 years old, approached a woman who was jogging in Fair Lakes on Sept. 9, 1998 and allegedly sexually assaulted her, implying he had a knife. The victim testified in court that he forced her to the ground before making her perform a sexual act on him.
Approximately two years later, Pottmyer forced entry into a home in the 11900 block of Parkside Drive and assaulted a 66-year-old female resident, who jumped from a second-story balcony and fled, police said.
Pottmyer was also linked to a 2004 incident in Burke, where he had exposed himself outside of the sliding glass door of a residence in the 9900 block of Whitewater Drive, according to police.
Detectives recovered forensic evidence from each of the scenes and “submitted in for analysis upon collection,” but a breakthrough in the cases didn’t come until the evidence was submitted to a private company that specializes in “cold case resolution.”
“Recently, due to the advancement in DNA testing, detectives submitted the DNA to Othram Inc. who utilized Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to develop a comprehensive profile that was then used for Forensic Genetic Genealogy research,” the FCPD said.
Pottmyer is scheduled to appear in court next on Oct. 17, when a judge will formally hand down his prison sentence.
