Indictment Returned in 1999 Camden County Home Invasion Case

A cold case in Camden County that dates back to April, 1999, is finally progressing through the court system as an indictment against a suspect who is facing attempted murder and other charges has been handed-down.

Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill Mayer and Somerdale Police Chief James J. Walsh say 46-year-old Sanika Adams was arrested in South Carolina this past December. He has been charged with first-degree attempted murder, multiple counts of first-degree kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault, second- and third-degree aggravated assault, third-degree criminal restraint, third-degree terroristic threats, fourth-degree unlawful possession of weapon, and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

Adams is accused of breaking into a home on April 15, 1999, in the 400 block of Park Avenue in Somerdale that was being shared by a mother and her daughter. Authorities say Adams cut the phone lines so they could not call for help and he,

"...allegedly then entered the 58-year-old mother’s bedroom as she slept, held a knife to her throat, demanded money, and tied up her 28-year-old daughter. He then allegedly, raped the daughter, stabbed her multiple times, and then fled, leaving her bound and bleeding. When the mother tried to call for help, she realized the phone lines had been cut. She then ran to a neighbor’s home to call police."

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Mayer's office says DNA was collected from the rape victim but no perpetrator was identified at that time. Nearly two decades later, the Somerdale Police Department received information that there was a potential DNA match to Adams. In 2020, the New Jersey State Police lab confirmed Adams was the source of the DNA taken from the rape victim.

At the time of the crime, Adams was 25 and living in Lawnside.

In a statement, Mayer said, "Cold cases often seem hopeless. However, thanks to the strides law enforcement has made in technology, improved communication between law enforcement agencies, and the sheer tenacity of our Detectives in consistently reviewing cold case files, we are able to finally move forward in seeking justice in this matter. We want the community to know -we will simply never give up."