Defendant Charged for Murder of Emma Roark w/Special Circumstances

District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert has announced the filing of criminal charges in the tragic death of Emma Roark. Mikilo Rawls has been charged with murder along with several special circumstances, making this a capital case. Rawls is also charged with kidnap, rape, sodomy, and an allegation that the victim was bound or tied in the course of the sexual assault. It is also alleged that Rawls has previously been convicted of a first-degree burglary, which is a strike offense under California law.  [VIEW CHARGING DOCUMENT]

Criminalists from the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Crime Lab responded with the Sheriff’s Department and assisted in processing the crime scene. Evidence obtained from the victim matched a known profile of Rawls and detectives from the Sheriff’s Department obtained an arrest warrant for Rawls, which was executed Friday, February 11. That warrant is a document on file with the court and available for public inspection within the rules of the Sacramento Superior Court.

“The circumstances of this murder are horrific, and our sympathies go out to Emma Roark’s family,” said DA Schubert. “I am incredibly proud of our Crime Lab criminalists who responded to the scene and dedicated every available resource to identify a responsible party.”

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