The 35-year-old New Jersey lawyer has been arrested for a series of assaults and kidnappings in Boston between 2007 and 2008 after police linked him to the crimes using genetic genealogy
- Matthew Nilo was arrested Tuesday at his home in Weehawken, New Jersey
- He is charged with aggravated rape, two counts of kidnapping, one count of assault with intent to rape and one count of assault and indecency.
- Four victims have been waiting for more than 15 years to discover the identity of their alleged attacker as the crimes spanned from August 2007 to December 2008
A 35-year-old New Jersey lawyer has been arrested on suspicion of a series of assaults and kidnappings in Boston – after police linked him to the crimes using genetic genealogy 15 years later.
Matthew Nilo was arrested Tuesday without incident at his home in Weehawken, New Jersey for allegedly assaulting four victims in the Terminal Street area of Charlestown in 2007 and 2008.
The cyber lawyer is charged with aggravated rape, two counts of kidnapping, one count of assault with intent to rape and one count of assault and battery.
He was held by members of the Boston Police Department, FBI Boston, FBI Newark, and the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office. He will be sent back to Massachusetts in the next few days to face charges.
Matthew Nilo, 35, who once lived in the North End, was arrested Tuesday at his home in Weehawken, New Jersey, more than 15 years after allegedly terrorizing four victims in the Terminal Street area
Boston FBI agent Joseph Bonavolonta said investigators used forensic genealogy to find him, and that his DNA has been linked to cases stretching from August 18, 2007, to December 23, 2008.
Nilo has reportedly been suspended by his employer Cowbell in light of the investigation
He told a press conference that the four victims have “waited for years” to learn the identity of their alleged attacker.
“We certainly realize that identifying this person doesn’t ease their pain — nothing can, but hopefully it answers some questions,” Bonavolonta said.
“Today’s arrest is the direct result of the FBI’s use of genetic genealogy, a unique method used to generate new clues in unsolved sexual assault cases.”
Genetic genealogy is the practice of using a public database of DNA to match suspects to genetic material left at the scene of a crime.
The accused rapist Nilo is originally from the Boston area and was studying law at the time of the alleged attacks.
Investigators have said he has also lived in Wisconsin, California and New York. Anyone who thinks they could be a victim, or who has information about any of the cases, should contact the Boston Police Department or FBI.
Nilo’s employer, Cowbell, has suspended him while the investigation is ongoing.
Boston FBI agent Joseph Bonavolonta said investigators used forensic genealogy to link Nilo to the crimes dating back to 2007 and 2008
Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox at the press conference about accused rapist attorney Matthew Nilo
The insurance company told DailyMail.com: ‘Matthew Nilo was a Cowbell employee and was hired in January 2023 after passing our background check.
“Mr. Nilo’s employment with Cowbell has been suspended pending further investigation.”
According to Nilo’s Linkedin profile, prior to joining Cowbell, he was an associate at Atheria Law in New York for three years after working for Clyde & Co in San Francisco, California for more than five years.
He studied for a PhD at the University of San Francisco School of Law from 2012 to 2015, after graduating with a degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2010.
Nilo was studying at the latter university when the alleged crimes took place.