66-Year-Old Macon Man Arrested In 2017 Cold Case Sexual Assault Investigation

MACON-BIBB COUNTY, GA- Cold case investigators have used DNA evidence to name a suspect in a Macon area sexual assault case from more than eight years ago. The suspect had a previous conviction from more than three decades ago that allowed investigators to link DNA evidence in the two cases and identify a suspect.

The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit has been investigating a sexual assault that occurred on September 16, 2017. Evidence from that case was submitted to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab. Findings from the evidence submitted to the GBI Lab, identified a DNA match to a rape conviction in 1989.

Investigators linked the DNA with the two cases to 66-year-old Robert Lee Carter, of Macon. Carter was named as a suspect in the 2017 case and cold case investigators obtained a warrant for the arrest of Carter. On Monday, October 6, 2025, Bibb County Sheriff’s Office deputies and members of the United States Marshals Southeast Regional fugitive Task Force took Carter into custody at his home in Macon with out incident.

Carter has been booked into the Bibb County Jail on charges of Rape. Carter made his first court appearance on Tuesday, October 7, 2025. A request for bond was denied and Carter remains jailed pending trial.

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Alton Mitchell

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Alton Mitchell is a career journalist, who currently resides in the Atlanta, Georgia area. He began his journalistic writing career while attending middle school and continued on through high school earning top honors by becoming his high school newspapers Editor in Chief. During his senior year of high school Mitchell's work received community recognition following an article that helped to save a local elementary school from closure. He would later go on to college where he earned degrees in Political Science and English. Following his graduation from college Mitchell would take on several reporting jobs at smaller publications and worked in roles ranging from a freelance journalist to editorial related roles. His work was recognized and received Press Association Awards in 2021. Writing is a passion and a love for Mitchell and he hopes to enlighten the community he serves through his works with A Mitchell Media LLC.

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