Fairfax County Man Sentenced In Decades-Old Sexual Assault Case

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — A Fairfax County man has been sentenced to prison for sexually assaulting a jogger more than 27 years ago.

Edward Pottmyer, 60, of Chantilly, was sentenced to 20 years in prison with all but 10 years suspended, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said in a statement. Pottmyer was arrested in June 2024 and pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated sexual battery and one count of abduction in July 2025.

“This is the type of scenario that usually only exists in our nightmares, and certainly not in Fairfax County,” Descano said. “Our police deserve full credit for never giving up on this cold case — and after nearly 30 long years, the victim of this horrific act is finally receiving the closure she deserves.”

According to prosecutors, the assault happened on Sept. 9, 1998, while the victim was on a bike path in the Fair Lakes area of Fairfax County.

The initial investigation did not lead to the identification of the woman's assailant. However, law enforcement continued to review the evidence periodically, and in March 2023, it was recommended that samples of the DNA evidence collected from the victim’s body during the assault be submitted for additional testing from a private laboratory.

The additional testing identified Pottmyer as a potential suspect, prosecutors said. Law enforcement then conducted surveillance, during which Pottmyer was seen buying and drinking beer in Coors Light cans.

According to prosecutors, the cans were recovered from Pottmyer’s garbage, which were then used to develop a DNA profile. That profile matched that of the attacker from the incident in 1998.

Police then obtained a search warrant for a DNA swab from Pottmyer, which matched both the beer cans and the profile of the suspect.